STATEN ISLAND — A takedown of a heroin ring led to the arrest of five dealers, including a paraprofessional who sold at the middle school where she worked, officials said.
The fiancé of a woman who played the "Blue Fairy" in a rap video and died of a drug overdose last year was also arrested.
The ring sold heroin and fentanyl — a potent synthetic drug — to users around Rossville, Richmond Town, Tottenville, Great Kills and Rosebank, District Attorney Michael McMahon announced Tuesday.
"This takedown puts a crimp in the pipeline of heroin and fentanyl being funneled into Staten Island and sends a strong message to the drug dealers who think they can purvey this poison in our communities and get away with it," McMahon said in a statement.
"These brazen heroin and fentanyl sales will not go unpunished."
As part of the takedown, police arrested Amanda Dimarinis, 25, who works as a paraprofessional for I.S. 49 in Rosebank and sold drugs at the school while on her lunch break, authorities said.
Dimarinis is not accused of selling to children, the DA said.
She started at the school part-time in 2015 and has worked as a paraprofessional since March 2016, the Department of Education said.
"This alleged behavior is deeply disturbing, and this paraprofessional has been suspended without pay," department spokesman Will Mantel said.
The 11-month investigation started in February 2016. Authorities learned about the ring when they started a probe into the overdose death of Sharissa Turk — who played the "Blue Fairy" in a rap video about prescription drug abuse — and her unborn baby.
Authorities discovered Turk's fiancé, Frank DeGaetano, sold and distributed drugs as part of a network of dealers linked to supplier Jessica Chaikin, 28, of Edison, N.J., prosecutors said.
Despite being a part of the ring, DeGaetano gave interviews after Turk's death to try and stop people from using drugs.
"Drugs took away my child, took away my fiancé and a beautiful future I should have had," DeGaetano told NY1 in May.
"Drugs don't just hurt the people who are doing drugs. They hurt the people around you who love you. You got to think before you do that next drug."
Search warrants at three locations turned up about 400 glassine envelopes of heroin, more than $11,000 in cash, cocaine and a scale, prosecutors said. The bulk of the drugs — 329 glassines of heroin — were found in DeGaetano's home.
Turk, 25, became a YouTube sensation when she played the "Blue Fairy" in a 2012 a rap video with local group "White Trash Clan" about prescription drug abuse in Staten Island.
The video went viral in 2013 when Turk was arrested for selling oxycodone to undercover officers as part of a 32 person drug ring.
Turk — who was reportedly 8-months pregnant — was found dead inside her Jefferson Boulevard home on March 1, 2016 and officials started to investigate it as part of the DA and NYPD's Overdose Response Initiative.
DeGaetano was arrested last month and hit with a three-count indictment for selling drugs to undercover officers.
Chaikin was hit with a 15-count indictment for criminal sale and criminal possession of a controlled substance, prosecutors said.
Dimarinis, Amanda Gavrity, 25, and Dylan Lopez, 27, were also indicted on drug sale charges as part of the takedown.
