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6 Indicted in Takedown of Heroin Ring Linked to 2 ODs, DA Says

By Nicholas Rizzi | July 22, 2016 2:42pm | Updated on July 25, 2016 8:36am
 District Attorney Michael McMahon announced the indictment of network of six dealers who allegedly sold heroin and crack, which was linked to at least two overdoses, around Staten Island.
District Attorney Michael McMahon announced the indictment of network of six dealers who allegedly sold heroin and crack, which was linked to at least two overdoses, around Staten Island.
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Staten Island District Attorney's office

MIDLAND BEACH — A network of six dealers who sold heroin and cocaine around Staten Island who are linked to at least to two overdoses were indicted Thursday after a six-month investigation, District Attorney Michael McMahon announced.

The ring — which included members of the Latin Kings gang — allegedly raked in about $7,500 a week by selling drugs in Midland Beach, New Dorp, Dongan Hills, Port Richmond, Castleton Corners, Arrochar, Manor Heights and New Springville, McMahon said.

The investigation started in January and was the first series of arrests that stemmed from the District Attorney's new Overdose Response Initiative, which investigates every overdose in the borough to try and trace the source of the drugs.

"This operation signifies another crucial step taken by my office and the NYPD to attack Staten Island’s drug epidemic at its core, and proves that by investigating all overdoses through our Staten Island Overdose Response Initiative, law enforcement can more effectively take down the dealers responsible for flooding our communities with heroin and other illicit narcotics," McMahon said in a statement.

"Far too many lives have already been lost to the scourge of heroin in our borough, but the public can remain confident that my prosecutors and the police will ensure that those responsible for peddling poison in our communities are kept off the streets and put behind bars."

The takedown — dubbed "Operation Trusted Source" in reference to one of the accused members David "Trust" Ruiz — had undercover officers buy drugs around Midland Beach from the dealers several times until July.

During the investigation, Ruiz allegedly sold heroin and cocaine to undercover officers eight times between Feb. 12 and July 13, McMahon said.

Katrin "Kay" Snyder, Toniann "Heavy" Lipari, Dina "Dee" Sugrue, Anthony "Glasses" Johnson and Angela "Camo" French also allegedly sold drugs numerous times to undercover officers during the investigation, McMahon said.

Officers recovered crack, cocaine and 634 glassine envelopes of heroin during the investigation.

On Wednesday, officers executed search warrants for seven spots tied to the dealers and recovered heroin, cocaine, oxycodone, marijuana, cash, scales, narcotics packaging materials and paraphernalia, McMahon said.

In March, the NYPD and the District Attorney's office started the Overdose Response Initiative to investigate every overdose in the borough — including interviewing family members and searching cellphones — to try and trace the drugs back to the dealers.

"These arrests announced today are exactly the kind of results we were seeking when we announced the creation of the Overdose Response Initiative just six months ago,” Police Commissioner William Bratton said in a statement.

"These early results of the initiative illustrate that the NYPD and its public safety partners are committed to rooting out the scourge of illegal drugs through all legally available means."

Ruiz, Snyder, Lipari and French were arrested Wednesday and hit with 21-count indictments for criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance, McMahon said.

Sugrue and Johnson were hit with six-count indictments for criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance, prosecutors said.

Johnson, 29, was also charged with criminal possession of a weapon, criminally using drug paraphernalia and criminal possession of a controlled substance after police found a gravity knife on his bed during the search warrant, prosecutors said.

John Estrada, Krissy Esposito, Luis Nieves and Brian Gonzalez were also arrested as part of the takedown and charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance, prosecutors said.

Delilah Aleman, 19, and Sandy French-Safar, 70, were also arrested and charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance.