Nassau County police and DEA agents took at least 35 people into custody at more than a dozen locations across the county. They're calling the roundup one of the biggest heroin busts Long Island has ever seen.
The investigation was named 'Operation Bundle Up' for the for the quantity of heroin bundles that were allegedly sold.
District Attorney Madeline Singas said that, according to the 59-count indictment, Elvin Rosario, AKA Fling, 27, Reinardo Adames, AKA Tito, 28, and another indicted individual, are members of a drug distribution crew that supplied large quantities of heroin to 15 members of a group dubbed "The 110 Crew" by investigators. The name came about because the drug sales happened along Route 110.
The three supplying defendants, known as the "Papis," allegedly stored the drugs at homes in Farmingdale, Lindenhurst, West Babylon and Bay Shore. Investigators said that in some of the cases, the drugs were sold in broad daylight.
According to the indictment, the Papis sold sleeves of heroin -- which are 10 bundles or 100 individual bags -- to the 110 Crew.
Names and ages of the arraigned:
Elvin Rosario a/k/a Fling, 27, of Copiague
Reinardo Adames a/k/a Tito, 28, of West Babylon
Tashawn Combs a/k/a Tata a/k/a Max, 27 of Copiague
Herman Monroe a/k/a Chief a/k/a J, 27, of North Amityville
Branden Harris a/k/a Doughboy a/k/a Nick, 27, of North Amityville
Kenneth Nesmith a/k/a Nee, 29, of Brooklyn
Joseph Ferguson a/k/a Jojo, 29, of North Amityville
Damien Winbush a/k/a Big Bank, 34, of Massapequa
Cashawn Winbush a/k/a Tre, 31, of Amityville
Matthew Casale, 36, of Levittown
Douglas Blachly, 28, of Dix Hills
Theresa Detillio, 46, of West Babylon
Irene Higgins, 36, of East Meadow
Among those arrested were a woman who is 7 months pregnant, a drug counselor and a volunteer firefighter. Here's video showing the suspects in custody:
Raw video: Drug roundup in Nassau County
According to sources, some of the suspects drew more attention to themselves by driving fancy cars like a Rolls Royce and even at $450,000 Bentley.
The Papis allegedly made hundreds of sales a week, sometimes earning as much as $8,000 during a seven-day period. It is estimated that the 110 Crew allegedly sold approximately 4,000 individual bags of heroin a week, which is worth approximately $40,000 to $50,000.
Officers seized drugs, guns, cash and high-end watches. Here's a look at some of the items:
The Nassau County District Attorney's Office is leading the investigation, with the assistance of the federal DEA.