The suspects, named in a federal indictment, were arrested Wednesday morning on Staten Island -- where the ring was based.
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They are described as reputed Albanian mobsters. Watch video of them being walked by police officers and DEA agents in the player above.
The arrests are the culmination of a joint investigation by the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, NYPD and New York State Police.
Federal prosecutors said some of the suspects knew they were selling dangerous, potentially deadly, drugs -- but did so anyway. One of the suspects even overdosed himself on heroin supplied by the group and was revived with naloxone.
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Here's a list of those charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl:
- MEDIN KOSIC, a/k/a "Dino"
- JASMIN CEJOVIC, a/k/a "Min"
- PAUL VAN MANEN
- MIRSAD BOGDANOVIC, a/k/a "Mike"
- SHAUN SULLIVAN
- THEODORE BANASKY, a/k/a "Freddy," a/k/a "Eduardo"
- ANTHONY FRANCESE
- ALEXANDER BUCCI
- JOSEPH CUCCINIELLO, a/k/a "Cuch"
- KENNETH CHARLTON
- JENNIFER BOGDANOVIC
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These suspects are not directly connected to the firefighter arrested at his Staten Island home Friday night for allegedly distributing fentanyl.
However, those arrested Wednesday are part of a greater push by federal law enforcement to rid Staten Island of its heroin and fentanyl epidemic. More arrests are expected in the future.
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