Nassau DA, Police Bust Years-Long Drug Trafficking Ring

Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that her office and Nassau County police had arrested five men and dismantled the drug trafficking ring that they were allegedly running in Long Beach for several years.

According to Singas, a tip in June 2018 sparked a 14-month-long investigation called "Operation Beech Sweep" into the Long Beach drug trafficking ring.

Singas said that the investigation revealed that Robert Gause, the alleged ringleader of the group, received crack and cocaine from Carlos Andujar, an alleged Latin Kings gang member. Gause would then supply drugs to Rodney Coward, Ronnie Sutton and Harold Chestnut, Singas said, who would sell them to dozens of people in Long Beach, Inwood and Atlantic Beach. Singas said that Gause also had connections to buy and then resell heroin, oxycodone pills and Xanaz.

“These defendants allegedly poisoned our communities by buying and selling staggering amounts of drugs for many years,” Singas said. “With the help of the Nassau County Police Department, the Long Beach Police Department and the Freeport Police Department, the DA Squad was able to make a significant dent in the flow of drugs into Long Beach and surrounding communities. My office remains laser-focused on dismantling the drug trafficking networks that are fueling Long Island’s opioid epidemic.”

As part of the investigation, Singas said that investigators recovered more than a half kilogram of drugs and more than 100 pills. They also found a loaded .357 Magnum revolver and a shotgun in Sutton's home, Singas said.

To date, more than half a kilogram of drugs and more than 100 pills have been recovered. Additionally, during the execution of a search warrant, a loaded .357 Magnum Revolver and a shotgun were allegedly found inside Defendant Sutton’s home.

According to Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, the drugs that were sold by the ring led to both fatal and non-fatal overdoses.

Singas said that the drug ring likely operated along Beech Street in Long Beach for years, and that members only bought and sold to "insiders" in the hopes of not getting caught.

“The Long Beach Police Department is very proud our working relationships with the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office, the Nassau County Police Department, and area police agencies," said Long Beach Police Commissioner Michael Tangney. "Working together is essential to these investigations and the resulting arrests needed to eliminate the scourge those drug dealers are causing in Long Island communities.”

Robert Gause, aka Bean, 49, of Atlantic Beach, was arraigned on Nov. 1 and charged with second-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. If convicted of the top charge, he faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.

Carlos Andujar, 34, of Inwood, was arraigned on Nov. 3 and charged with first-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. If convicted of the top charge, he faces a maximum of 24 years in prison.

Rodney Coward, 43, of Long Beach, was arraigned on Nov. 7 and charged with second-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. If convicted of the top charge, he faces a maximum of 14 years in prison.

Ronnie Sutton, 45, of Long Beach, was arraigned on Nov. 3 and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. If convicted of the top charge, he faces a maximum of 10 years in prison.

Harold Chestnut, 59, of Long Beach, was arraigned on Nov. 2 and charged with second-degree conspiracy. If convicted of the top charge, he faces a maximum of nine years in prison.

Clockwise, from top left, are Robert Gause, Carlos Andujar, Harold Chestnut, Rodney Coward and Ronnie Sutton. Photos courtesy Nassau County District Attorney's Office.