Largest Heroin Trafficking Ring In Nassau History Dismantled: DA

A massive drug takedown announced today led to 15 arrests, seizing more than $1 million worth of heroin and more than $1.2 million in cash — dismantling the largest-known heroin trafficking operation in Nassau County.

Officials announced the arrests today, which was the culmination of an investigation dubbed Operation Gateway that began in July and spanned Nassau, Suffolk, Queens and Kings counties. The investigation began by looking into overdoses on Long Island. The investigation was a joint operation between the Nassau County Police Department, the Nassau County District Attorney's office and the Long Island Heroin Taskforce.

According to Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas, ringleaders Luis Rivera and Orlando Rodriguez sold between 1,300 and 2,600 bundles of heroin (each containing 10 individual doses) per month to 74 different customers, including 13 street dealers that were charged. One of those dealers — Joseph Melito — is being charged as a major trafficker. The drugs were sold from the parking lot of a Gateway Shopping Center in Brooklyn, where Singas said that Rivera and Rodriguez had been operating for six years. They are both also being charged as major traffickers.

Singas said that, during the four months of the investigation, Rivera and Rodriguez's profits averaged about $30,000 per week, and totaled $230,000 from heroin and cocaine sales.

During the investigation, Rivera and Rodriguez’s alleged profits averaged approximately $30,000 per week and totaled $230,000 in heroin and cocaine sales.

The 13 other dealers being charged traveled from towns on Long Island to purchase drugs, Singas said, including Garden City, Valley Stream, Bellmore, Albertson, Wantagh and Hicksville, to the Gateway Shopping Center to purchase heroin from Rivera and Rodriguez, who are believed to be cousins.

Heroin originally distributed by Rivera is connected to 15 overdoses — 13 in Nassau and two in Suffolk — Singas said. Three of the overdoses in Nassau were fatal.

Of the ring’s 74 customers, 54 have been identified as coming from Nassau County, 16 from Suffolk County and five from New York City.

“This massive operation has dismantled the largest-known heroin trafficking operation in Nassau County, disrupting the flow of this deadly poison into our communities,” Singas said. “Heroin from this syndicate has been linked to at least three fatal overdoses, and we know that putting these alleged traffickers out of business will save lives. I commend our partners for their outstanding collaboration in this operation, and for their unstinting commitment to ending the opioid epidemic.”

According to Singas, on Dec. 13, police executed search warrants on the Brooklyn home of Rivera and his wife, Nicolette Barba, which they shared with Rodriguez. Singas said police recovered more than $383,000 in cash, 963 grams of heroin with a street value of $325,000, more than 5,800 individually packaged doses of heroin worth $58,000 and about 33 grams of cocaine worth $3,300.

The police also found 175 pairs of Jordan sneakers, worth about $30,000, and several safe deposit box keys. Two of the safe deposit boxes were opened: one contained $440,100 in cash, the other held $390,100 in cash.

Singas said that Rivera and Rodriguez used a stash house in Flushing to store their drugs. During a search of the building, Singas said that police found another 800 grams of heroin worth $240,000; 26,730 individual doses of heroin ready for sale and worth $267,300; and 980 grams of cocaine worth $98,000.

Rivera and Rodriguez allegedly used a Honda Pilot to sell the drugs, Singas said. During a search of the car, police say they found an additional 910 doses of heroin worth $9,100, 11 grams of cocaine worth $11,000 and $165 in cash inside a trap in the console of the car.

Singas said that the investigation is still ongoing and that more charges are likely.

“We are in the midst of a serious nationwide addiction crisis, and every single bust makes a difference," said Nassau County Executive Laura Curran. "I applaud our dedicated law enforcement officials and the Long Island Heroin Taskforce for their collaborative efforts and success in taking down these major drug traffickers, dismembering the largest known heroin trafficking operation in Nassau County. We are not taking our foot off the gas. Together, we will continue our commitment to rid our streets of this poison and keep historic low crime rates in Nassau County.”

Those charged are:

• Luis Rivera, 40, of Brooklyn, was charged with two counts of operating as a major trafficker, four counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, second-degree conspiracy and 25 counts of fourth-degree conspiracy. He is due back in court on Dec. 27. If convicted of the top charge, he faces 25 years to life in prison.
• Orlando Rodriguez, 36, of Brooklyn, was charged with two counts of operating as a major trafficker and 25 counts of fourth-degree conspiracy. He is due back in court on Dec. 27. If convicted of the top charge, he faces 25 years to life in prison.
• Joseph Melito, 30, of Albertson, was charged with operating as a major trafficker, third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and two counts of fourth-degree conspiracy. He is due back in court on Dec. 27. If convicted of the top charge, he faces 25 years to life in prison.
• Nicolette Barba, 36, of Brooklyn, was charged with two counts of fourth-degree conspiracy. She is due back in court on Dec. 27. If convicted of the top charge, she faces up to four years in prison.
• Emily Hlavaty, 55, of Syosset, was charged with two counts of fourth-degree conspiracy. She is due back in court on Dec. 26. If convicted of the top charge, she faces up to four years in prison.
• Peter Humann, 44, of Huntington, was charged with third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and two counts of fourth-degree conspiracy. He is due back in court on Jan. 17. If convicted of the top charge, he faces up to nine years in prison.
• Christine Kaempf, 37, of North Bellmore, was charged with two counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, the counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and two counts of fourth-degree conspiracy. She is due back in court on Dec. 27. If convicted of the top charge, she faces up to four years in prison.
• Judy Miller, 51, of Brightwaters, was charged with two counts of fourth-degree conspiracy. She is due back in court on Dec. 27. If convicted of the top charge, she faces up to four years in prison.
• Michael Gashonia, 36, of Wantagh, was charged with third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and two counts of fourth-degree conspiracy. He is due back in court on Dec. 27. If convicted of the top charge, he faces up to four years in prison.

“Today’s announcement of the Operation Gateway investigation by the Long Island Heroin Task Force produced a historical amount of arrests, seizures of US currency and dangerous drugs in our region," said Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder. "Our combined efforts have taken these drugs and their dealers off the streets making it more difficult for drugs to get in the hands of our residents, thus making our communities even safer. I would like to congratulate all of the investigators and their respective agencies for all of their dedication and hard work over the past six months.”