Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney held a press conference on September 13 to announce three indictments charging 30 defendants following long-term joint investigations into narcotics trafficking throughout Suffolk County. The investigations were conducted jointly by the Suffolk County District Attorney’s East End Drug Task Force, the Suffolk County Police Department’s Telephone Records and Surveillance Section and Gun Crime Reduction Unit, the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York, the United States Drug Enforcement Administration, the United States Department of Homeland Security, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Southampton Town Police Department, the Southold Town Police Department and the Riverhead Town Police Department.
The investigations involved the execution of over 100 search warrants into cellular telephones, residences, vehicles, and other digital sources of data. 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.
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.
“Along with our law enforcement partners, we undertook a comprehensive investigation into who was dealing deadly drugs in Suffolk County. We discovered three alleged drug distribution networks and set about to dismantle them. 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. “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. 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.”
“Dangerous drugs are causing far too many deaths across our region. Saving lives is our primary goal. This long-term investigation was comprehensive, targeting significant narcotics activity. Collaborative work is critical to long term progress in reducing overdose deaths,” said Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan. “I am pleased that our Investigators Unit was able to assist Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond Tierney, the East End Drug Task Force, and local and federal law enforcement partners in identifying and dismantling organizations engaged in distributing lethal drugs.”
“The opioid crisis is an epidemic that destroys families while narcotics traffickers line their pockets,” said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison. “Let these indictments send a message that we are watching. These investigations will impact the narcotics trade from the East End to New York City and is a testament of the successes our law enforcement partnerships have made. I commend all those involved, especially the department’s Gun Crime Reduction Unit, Telephone Records and Surveillance Section and members on the East End Drug Task Force.”
“HSI New York and our partners work tirelessly to stop the flow of deadly drugs that is often synonymous with some of the country’s most violent gangs. As alleged in the indictment, the defendants in this case, members and associates of the notorious MS-13 street gang, operated an illicit narcotics distribution network that has been plaguing communities in Suffolk County,” said HSI New York Special Agent in Charge Ivan J. Arvelo. “By working together, we can ensure that criminal organizations such as MS-13 can no longer terrorize our communities and profit from their illegal activities here on Long Island.”
“The DEA remains determined and hyper-focused on taking out the drug networks who are responsible for the countless lives lost to this crisis,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Frank Taratino. “These three investigations make it evidently clear that illegal drugs and guns are responsible for the violence and poisonings causing death and destruction in our communities. It will take all of us working together and combining our resources to make the difference that will ensure the health and safety of our neighborhoods.”
“This arrest is the direct result of hard work and determination by Federal, State and Local law enforcement that came together to combat dangerous drugs and gang activity that negatively impact our community,” said State Police Major Stephen J. Udice, Troop Commander, Troop L. We pledge to continue to work tirelessly to make sure individuals who engage in this illegal activity are held accountable and will continue to prevent dangerous drugs from entering our neighborhoods across Long Island.”
“The indictment is the result of local, state and federal partners working together to identify, disrupt and dismantle the criminal enterprises destroying communities and lives with drugs and illegal guns,” said John DeVito, Special Agent in Charge of ATF NY. “We are thankful for the extensive and continuous collaboration amongst law enforcement to protect the public. The men and women of ATF NY Long Island Field Office, DEA NY and Suffolk County PD remain steadfast in our role. No one should be forced to live in a community with perpetual violence and criminal activity.”
The Indictments
The long-term investigations culminated in three indictments charging a total of 30 defendants with 132 charges including long-term conspiracies to distribute narcotics, the sale and possession of narcotics, money laundering, and the possession of multiple illegal firearms.
People v. Dushane Telfer et. al.
According to the investigation, from February 17, 2023 through June 11, 2023, Telfer, Perkins, Omar Reynoso and co-defendants allegedly conducted a large-scale fentanyl and cocaine trafficking operation spanning from the east end of Suffolk County to Queens, New York. Over the course of this investigation, over 763 grams of fentanyl and 585 grams of cocaine were allegedly recovered from the illicit sales and possession of fentanyl and cocaine by these defendants. This includes sales to individuals and agent buys, as well as narcotics allegedly recovered during search warrants executed at the residences of Telfer, Perkins and Reynoso.
Through the execution of the search warrants, members of law enforcement allegedly recovered A-1 felony weight fentanyl and cocaine from the North Amityville residence of Telfer, Perkins and co-defendant Devante Pearson. In addition to the narcotics, four loaded illegal firearms, including an assault weapon and a large capacity feeding device, were allegedly recovered from that residence.
On February 17, 2023, Telfer and Perkins allegedly sold a quantity of drugs to Michelle Tomitz which caused her death. Ms. Tomitz was discovered unresponsive the next morning after the alleged sale. The autopsy report revealed the presence of fentanyl, cocaine and xylazine in Ms. Tomitz’s system at the time of her death. Ms. Tomitz is survived by her parents and a six-year-old daughter.
Xylazine, also known as “Tranq,” is a drug that is a powerful tranquilizer used by veterinarians to relax or sedate large animals.
Xylazine has recently been found in the Long Island and New York City drug supplies, 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. Xylazine is only approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a veterinary medicine to sedate and relieve pain in large animals such as horses. In humans, xylazine is known to depress breathing and heart rate, lower blood pressure, and cause unconsciousness, necrosis, and even death. Because xylazine is not an opioid, naloxone (Narcan) does not reverse its effects. Still, experts always recommend administering naloxone if someone might be suffering a drug overdose. People who inject drug mixtures containing xylazine also can develop severe wounds, including necrosis — the rotting of human tissue — that may lead to amputation. See https://www.dea.gov/alert/dea-reports widespread-threat-fentanyl-mixed-xylazine.
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.
People v. Gabriel Fernandez et. al.
The investigation also uncovered a large-scale cocaine trafficking operation allegedly conducted by Fernandez, Lusbin Antonio Hernandez-Garcia, a 34-year-old Riverhead resident, and other co-defendants from March 2022 through July 2023. The operation spanned both the western and eastern portions of Suffolk County. Fernandez allegedly supplied Hernandez-Garcia with cocaine, which Hernandez-Garcia and co-conspirators sold primarily in the Riverhead area.
Over the course of a six-month period, Hernandez-Garcia allegedly sold narcotics to an undercover police officer on eight occasions. Two of the eight transactions involved A-2 felony weight cocaine. The narcotics recovered from these transactions, as well as search warrants executed at Fernandez’ West Babylon residence, allegedly yielded over 600 grams of cocaine, including A-1 felony weight cocaine recovered from his residence.
Fernandez is also charged with two counts of money laundering. During the course of the investigation, it was revealed that Fernandez allegedly accepted payments for illicit narcotics from customers through money transfer apps (i.e., Zelle) and used said money, under the guise that funds were legitimate, to pay for his living expenses.
People v. Paris Parks et. al.
Finally, the investigation uncovered that between February 14, 2023 through July 27, 2023, Parks and his co-conspirators allegedly conspired to sell large-scale amounts of cocaine and fentanyl throughout Suffolk County. Over the course of those six months, Parks and co defendants Demetrius Glover, Matthew Shea, Darien Daves, and Theodore Elliby allegedly sold both A-1 and A-2 felony weight cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl to undercover police officers. The amount of narcotics dealt during these sales were priced at a range of $3,500 to $10,000 per transaction, and Parks allegedly discussed having access to more narcotics.
Parks is charged by this indictment with selling A-1 felony weight narcotics, including fentanyl and cocaine, on nine different occasions. Elliby is charged in three of those sales, all of which were A-1 felony weight narcotics. Daves is also charged with two A-1 felony sales, and Glover and Shea are charged with one A-1 felony sale each. Timothy Busso and Taylor West are additionally charged for their roles in allegedly conspiring and facilitating these sales.
In addition to the charges resulting from the sales, Elliby and Maria Calderon were both charged with possession of cocaine and fentanyl allegedly found in their residence during a search by law enforcement on July 27, 2023.
All of the 30 defendants have been arrested and six have been arraigned before the Honorable Steven Pilewski, ten more are scheduled to be arraigned on September 13, 2023. The remaining defendants are pending arraignment. Of the 30 defendants, ten are charged with bail-eligible offenses, including three who are charged with weapons offenses. Of those ten bail-eligible defendants, seven are in custody, and one has posted bond. The remaining 20 defendants are not bail-eligible.
Indicted Defendants
People v. Dushane Telfer et. al. – Ind-72413-23
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
People v. Gabriel Fernandez et. al. – Ind-72412-23
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 is scheduled to be arraigned on September 13, 2023.
- 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 is scheduled to be arraigned on September 13, 2023.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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 is scheduled to be arraigned on September 13, 2023.
- 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 is scheduled to be arraigned on September 13, 2023.
- 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 is scheduled to be arraigned on September 13, 2023.
- 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.
- 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 is scheduled to be arraigned on September 13, 2023.
- 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.
People v. Paris Parks et. al. – Ind-72081-23 - 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.