Five Riverhead residents among 30 people indicted after multi-agency countywide investigation into drug trafficking: DA Tierney

Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney on Wednesday announced indictments of 30 people, including five Riverhead residents, involved in countywide drug trafficking operations, following long-term joint investigations into narcotics trafficking in Suffolk County.

The alleged drug dealing operations all centered around the distribution of fentanyl, cocaine, and cocaine mixed with fentanyl, and spanned from the eastern Suffolk County towns of Southold, Riverhead and Southampton, throughout western Suffolk County, all the way into New York City, Tierney said.

The investigations involved the execution of over 100 search warrants into cellular telephones, residences, vehicles, and other digital sources of data, according to the district attorney. The execution of these warrants, coupled with thousands of hours of electronic and video surveillance, uncovered three separate operations, two of which were led by alleged Blood gang members Dushane Telfer, a 30-year-old North Amityville man, and Paris Parks, a 31-year-old Greenport man, as well as a third operation led by 33-year-old Gabriel Fernandez, of West Babylon, who is an alleged member of the Trinitarios street gang, Tierney said.

The multi-agency investigation involved the East End Drug Task Force, Suffolk County Police, Riverhead Police, Southampton Police, Southold Police, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York, the district attorney’s office said in a press release.

Investigators recovered more than two kilograms of cocaine and one kilogram of fentanyl, along with illegal firearms, an assault rifle and a high-capacity ammunition feeding device, Tierney said.

Two of the defendants, Telfer and Oshane Perkins, 30, both of North Amityville, were charged with the Feb. 17, fatal overdose of 30-year-old Michelle Tomitz.

Telfer and Perkins sold drugs to Tomitz which caused her death, Tierney said. She was discovered unresponsive the next morning after the alleged sale. The autopsy report revealed the presence of fentanyl, cocaine and xylazine in her system at the time of her death, the district attorney said.

Xylazine, also known as “Tranq,” is a drug that is a powerful tranquilizer used by veterinarians to relax or sedate large animals. In humans, xylazine is known to depress breathing and heart rate, lower blood pressure, and cause unconsciousness, necrosis — the rotting of human tissue— and even death.

Xylazine has recently been found in the Long Island and New York City drug supply, and is used together with fentanyl to prolong the effects of fentanyl. According to the DEA, xylazine and fentanyl drug mixtures place users at a higher risk of suffering a fatal drug poisoning.

Although a number of states have added xylazine to their lists of controlled substances, xylazine is not yet considered a controlled substance in New York State.

“These indictments should send a message to those flooding the streets of Suffolk County with dangerous drugs that we will use every investigative tool in our toolbox to stop the flow of these drugs onto our streets,” Tierney said in the press release. “Overdoses in Suffolk County, just like the rest of the United States, are at crisis levels. This is an emergency, and we are treating it as such,” he said. “However, law enforcement can’t do this alone; we need our state lawmakers to help. Tragically, any help will come too late for Michelle Tomitz and her family.”

All 30 defendants have been arrested and are being arraigned before Suffolk County Criminal Court Judge Steven Pilewski.

Details of the indictments

The district attorney provided the following details about the indictments and charges of individual defendants in his Sept. 13 press release:

1. Dushane Telfer, 30, of North Amityville, faces a top count of Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance in the First Degree, and up to 24 years’ incarceration. Telfer is bail eligible and is presently incarcerated on $1,000,000 cash, $2,000,000 insurance company bond or $3,000,000 partially secured bond. Telfer is represented by Jonathan Manley, Esq.
2. Oshane Perkins, 29 of North Amityville, faces a top count of Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance in the First Degree, and up to 24 years’ incarceration. Perkins is bail eligible and is presently incarcerated on $750,000 cash, $1,500,000 million insurance company bond, $3,000,000 partially secured bond. Perkins is represented by Michael Alber, Esq.
3. Devante Pearson, 26, of North Amityville, faces top counts of Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Second Degree, and up to 15 years’ incarceration. Pearson is bail eligible and at liberty after posting bond. Pearson is represented by Michael Elbert, Esq.
4. Omar Reynoso, 36 of Woodside, Queens, faces a top count of Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, and up to 12 years’ incarceration. Reynoso is not bail eligible and is presently placed on supervised release. Reynoso is represented by Jonathan Manley, Esq.
5. Shamar Weir, 27, of Shirley, faces a top count of Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the Third Degree for possessing fentanyl, and up to 9 years’ incarceration. Weir is not bail eligible and is presently placed on supervised release. Weir is represented by Robert Macedonio, Esq.
6. Keyth Jeffers, 35, of Bohemia, faces a top count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, and up to 9 to 25 years’ incarceration. Jeffers is not bail eligible and is not in custody. Jeffers is represented by Michaelangelo Matera, Esq.
7. Travis Austin, 29 of Islip, faces a top count of Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance in the Third Degree for possessing fentanyl, and up to 12 years’ incarceration. Austin is not bail eligible and is not in custody. Austin is represented by Robert Macedonio, Esq.
8. James Johnsen, 35, of Holbrook, faces a top count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, and up to 8 1/3 to 25 years’ incarceration. Johnson is not bail eligible and is not in custody. Johnsen is represented by the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County.
9. Stephen Warren, 60, of Shirley, faces a top count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, and up to 9 to 25 years’ incarceration. Warren is currently in custody on remand status after being arrested on an unrelated case while at liberty on this matter. Warren is represented by the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County.
10. Joseph Yengel, 57, of Holbrook, faces a top count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, and up to 8 1/3 to 25 years’ incarceration. Yengel is not bail eligible and is not in custody. Yangel is represented by the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County.
11. Gabriel Fernandez, 33, of West Babylon, faces a top count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, and up to 20 years’ incarceration. Fernandez is presently incarcerated with bail set at $750,000 cash, $1,500,000 insurance company bond, or $3,000,000 partially secured bond. Fernandez is represented by Michael Brown, Esq.
12. Lusbin Antonio Hernandez-Garcia, AKA “Jairo”, 34, of Riverhead, faces a top count of Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the Second Degree, and up to 10 years’ incarceration. Hernandez-Garcia is not bail eligible and is not in custody. Hernandez-Garcia is represented by Colin Astarita, Esq.
13. Edwin Mazariegos-Manchame, AKA “Gordo”, 21, of Riverhead, faces a top count of Criminal Sale of Controlled Substance in the Second Degree, and up to 10 years’ incarceration. Mazariegos-Manchame is not bail eligible was scheduled to be arraigned on September 13, 2023.
14. Nora Manchame-Orellana, 40, of Riverhead, faces a top count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, and up to 8 1/3 to 25 years’ incarceration. Manchame-Orellana is not bail eligible and was scheduled to be arraigned on September 13, 2023.
15. Dilan Monroy-Suret, 43, of Riverhead, faces a top count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, and up to 8 1/3 to 25 years’ incarceration. Monroy-Suret is not bail eligible and is scheduled to be arraigned on September 13, 2023.
16. Edgar Ochoa-Avila, 35, of Orient, faces a top count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, and up to 8 1/3 to 25 years of incarceration. Ochoa-Avila is not bail eligible and is scheduled to be arraigned on September 13, 2023.
17. Luis Torres-Dalmasi, 61, of Riverhead, faces a top count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree and up to 8 1/3 to 25 years’ incarceration. Torrres-Dalmasi is not bail eligible and was scheduled to be arraigned on September 13, 2023.
18. Juan Puluc-Chamale, 39 of Southampton, faces a top count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree and up to 8 1/3 to 25 years’ incarceration. Puluc-Chamale is not bail eligible and was scheduled to be arraigned on September 13, 2023.
19. Elder Jeronimo-Ordonez, 32, of Southampton, faces a top count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, and up to 8 1/3 to 25 years’ incarceration. Jeronimo-Ordonez is not bail eligible and was scheduled to be arraigned on September 13, 2023.
20. Marvin Chavez, 42, of Huntington Station, faces a top count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, and up to 8 1/3 to 25 years’ incarceration. Chavez is not bail eligible and is not in custody. Chavez is represented by the Legal Aid Society of Suffolk County.
21. Alfri Marine, 36, of West Babylon, faces a top count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, and up to 8 1/3 to 25 years’ incarceration. Marine is not bail eligible and was scheduled to be arraigned on September 13, 2023.
22. Brian Weslek, 42, of Shelter Island, faces a top count of Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree, and up to 4 years’ incarceration. Weslek is not bail eligible and is not in custody. Weslek is represented by Austin Manghan, Esq.
23. Paris Parks, 31, of Greenport, faces a top count of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, and up to 20 years’ incarceration. Parks is bail eligible and is currently incarcerated on $1,000,000 cash, $2,500,000 insurance company bond or $10,000,000 partially secured bond. Parks is represented by Robert Macedonio, Esq.
24. Theodore Elliby, 26, of Yaphank, faces a top count of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, and up to 20 years’ incarceration. Elliby is bail eligible and is currently incarcerated on $500,000 cash, $1,000,000 insurance company bond or $2,500,000 partially secured bond. Elliby is represented by Keith O’Halloran Esq.
25. Demetrius Glover, 27, of Shirley, faces a top count of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, and up to 20 years’ incarceration. Glover is bail eligible but is currently placed on supervised release. Glover is represented by Anthony Scheller, Esq.
26. Darien Daves, 29, of Coram, faces a top count of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, and up to 20 years’ incarceration. Daves is bail eligible and is currently incarcerated on $175,000 cash, $350,000 insurance company bond or $1,500,000 partially secured bond. Daves is represented by Christopher Brocato, Esq.
27. Matthew Shea, 49, of Miller Place, faces a top count of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, and up to 20 years’ incarceration. Shea is bail eligible but is currently placed on supervised release. Shea is represented by Michael Brown, Esq.
28. Timothy Busso, 26, of Southold, faces a top count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, and up to 8 1/3 to 25 years’ incarceration. Busso is not bail eligible and is not in custody. Busso is represented by Lane Bubka, Esq.
29. Taylor West, 31, of Virginia Beach, Virginia, faces a top count of Conspiracy in the Second Degree, and up to 8 1/3 to 25 years’ incarceration. West is not bail eligible and is scheduled to be arraigned on September 13, 2023.
30. Maria Calderon, 28, of Yaphank, faces a top count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree, and up to 10 years’ incarceration. Calderon is not bail eligible and is not in custody. Calderon is represented by Christopher Cassar, Esq.
    

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