DA: Riverhead woman facing felony charges in county-wide heroin ring bust

A Riverhead woman is facing felony charges after allegedly dealing “high octane” heroin in a major Brooklyn- to-Suffolk County drug ring.

Jacquelyn Cleary, 27, of Fishel Avenue in Riverhead, was initially scheduled for arraignment on Wednesday, on charges of conspiracy in the second degree, a felony, two counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, a felony, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a felony, after allegedly dealing the “high octane” heroin, according to Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota. She allegedly sold heroin in Brentwood, Central Islip, and Hauppauge areas, Spota said.

She was not arraigned as expected because her attorney, Phil Murphy, requested and was granted an adjournment until April 10.

Jacquelyn Cleary, 27, who pleaded not guilty Wednesday after being charged with dealing heroin in a county-wide drug ring bust. On Wednesday, Spota held a press conference to shed light on a massive drug bust that included thousands of bags of heroin and suppliers who kept heroin near their baby’s crib in Holtsville, he said.

The bust came after the “Hollywood heroin” bust in February.

Spota announced the indictments of the Holtsville couple, their alleged New York City heroin supplier, and 11 other defendants on drug trafficking, conspiracy and other charges at the Arthur M. Cromarty Criminal Court in Riverside before State Supreme Court Justice William Condon.

“These defendants flooded Suffolk County with tens of thousands of bags of heroin they brought here from a Brooklyn dealer, Miguel Vicente, who would prepare kilos of the drug for street sales,” Spota said. “In fact, Vicente, to encourage repeat business and dealer loyalty, would regularly overfill the bags”.

Vicente and the Suffolk County “ringleaders”, Kelly Mullen, 29, and her husband, Aaron Smith, 57, were indicted last week, Spota said. Mullen and Smith’s Holtsville home served as the main distribution point for heroin pickups by local drug dealers from Riverhead, Oakdale, Islip, Central Islip, Ronkonkoma, Shirley and Holbrook, Spota said.

“As many as five dealers a day came to this house, where five to 10 children live at any given time, to pick up their heroin,” Spota said. “When we arrived with a search warrant, there were bags of heroin scattered about, including heroin left next to the crib of Mullen and Smith’s daughter.”

On display at the press conference were thousands of packets of the “high octane” heroin, five ounces of powder and crack cocaine, $37,000 in cash, a $40,000 wristwatch and other jewelry seized during the execution of court-authorized search warrants from the homes and cars of the suspects.

“There’s an important distinction setting apart these the main conspirators from most of their colleagues,” Spota said. “The suppliers, Vicente, Mullen and Smith, don’t use heroin. Their addiction is to greed, a craving they satisfied by destroying the lives of other people.”

Vincente, 32, of Brooklyn, was held in lieu of $2.5 million count bail or $7 million bond. He pleaded not guilty to charges including operating as a major trafficker, a felony, criminal sale of a controlled substance in the first degree, a felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, a felony, and two counts of conspiracy in the second degree, a felony.

Married couple Kelly Mullen, 27, and Aaron Smith, 57, pleaded not guilty; they are both held in lieu of cash bail of $1 million and bond of $3 million each. They were charged with operating as a major trafficker, a felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, a felony, conspiracy in the second degree, a felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a felony, and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, Spota said.

The DA said as prior felony offenders, both Aaron Smith and Miguel Vicente face a 25 years to life sentence upon conviction of the top count of operating as a major trafficker, 24 years in prison maximum if convicted of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the first degree, upon conviction on one charge of conspiracy in the second degree, a sentence of 12.5 to 25 years, and one year maximum if convicted of endangering the welfare of a child.

As a first time offender, Kelly Mullen faces 25 years to life in state prison upon conviction of the top count of operating as a major drug trafficker, 20 years of incarceration if convicted of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, eight and one-third to 25 years if convicted of conspiracy in the second degree, nine years of incarceration upon conviction of criminal sale and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, and one year in jail upon conviction of the charge of endangering the welfare of a child.

Defendant Julie Schaal, 35, of Islip was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, a felony, and conspiracy in the second degree, a felony.

Gabriel Pacheco, 21, of Central Islip, was charged with conspiracy in the second degree, a felony.

Edward Thompson, aka “Boobie,” 44, of Central Islip, was charged with conspiracy in the second degree, a felony.

Finn Hanserud, 48, of Holtsville was charged with conspiracy in the second degree, a felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a felony, and three counts of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor.

Michael Greco, aka “Pinky,” 25, of Shirley, was charged with conspiracy in the second degree, a felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a felony, and criminally using drug paraphernalia in the second degree, a misdemeanor.

April Mullen, 33, of Central Islip, was charged with conspiracy in the second degree, a felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a felony, tampering with physical evidence, a felony, four counts of endangering the welfare of a child, a misdemeanor, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, a felony, two counts of criminally using drug paraphernalia in the second degree, a misdemeanor, and criminally possessing a hypodermic needle, a misdemeanor.

Richard Valentino, 27, of Oakdale, was charged with conspiracy in the second degree, a felony.

Daniel Teixeira, 24, of Ronkonkoma, was charged with conspiracy in the second degree, a felony, three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, a felony, and three counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a felony.

Tommy Monsegur, 20, of Shirley, was charged with two counts of conspiracy in the second degree, a felony, and two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a felony.

Robert Altenburg, 43, of Holbrook was charged with conspiracy in the second degree, a felony.

Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. By law, a person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Correction: An earlier version of this story reported that Jacquelyn Cleary had already pleaded guilty; her arraignment was adjourned at the request of her attorney.