17 charged in bust of heroin, cocaine ring on Long Island

MINEOLA, Long Island (WABC) -- Authorities on Long Island say 17 people are facing charges for their role in a cocaine and heroin ring that operated in Nassau County.

Several of the suspects charged in the indictment appeared in court in Mineola Tuesday morning, all of them entering not guilty pleas. They face a number of charges stemming from the alleged drug conspiracy in operation from May 2016 to last month.

The suspects were identified as:

--Lyonel Beaubrun, 41, Rosedale

--Kervin Etienne, 36, West Hempstead

--Jean-Luc Theodore, 35, Valley Stream

--Jaksem Phileppe, 42, Far Rockaway

--Musheer Reid, 34, Brooklyn

--Emmanuel Lemite, 38, Rosedale

--Ebony Johnson, 36, Brooklyn

--John Beaubrun, 38, West Hempstead

--Naeemah Smith, 37, Rosedale

--Sandra Marseilles, 38, Rosedale

--Sully Botello, 33, Central Islip

--Ashley Cumbo, 27, Bellerose

Prosecutors say the investigation used extensive electronic eavesdropping to uncover the ring, and that the conspiracy has connections to Maryland and Syracuse.

As a result of the search warrants executed Tuesday, investigators seized approximately three and a half kilograms of cocaine, four ounces of heroin, approximately $115,000 in cash, two defaced guns, money counters, kilogram presses, packaging equipment, a Porsche, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and a Richard Mille watch. In total, approximately five and a half kilograms in cocaine and approximately $190,000 in cash was seized during the investigation.

The arrests are a result of a long-term investigation by the Nassau County District Attorney's Office.

"Fourteen law enforcement agencies collaborated with my office's dedicated investigators on this massive takedown that has dismantled what we allege to be a multi-state, cross country drug trafficking enterprise that pumped huge quantities of cocaine and deadly heroin into our communities and throughout the northeast," District Attorney Madeline Singas said. "Our partners at the federal, state and local level worked together seamlessly to uncover the novel smuggling methods used in this 'family business' and to shut it down before more lives were ruined by the poison these defendants supplied."

Singas said Etienne, Beaubren and another relative founded the drug distribution operation, which supplied large quantities of cocaine and heroin to 14 members of their crew.