Crime & Safety
Rockland Oxycodone, Heroin Ring in Federal Court Today
Busted in March, this ring had operated in the parking lot of the Palisades Center, among other spots.
The federal case against the big oxycodone and heroin ring busted in Rockland County in March has a proceeding in magistrate’s court today in White Plains.
There are 17 defendants in the case, U.S. v. Esteban et al. There were also state charges filed against 9 Rockland residents.
“Dealers in this operation are alleged to have sunk to a new low, selling prescription drugs and heroin at popular locations where parents drop off their kids to see a movie, attend a birthday party or spend time ice skating with friends,” said Rockland District Attorney Thomas Zugibe at the time.
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SEE: UPDATE: ‘Massive’ Oxycodone and Heroin Ring Busted in Rockland County
Forged prescriptions were manufactured and filled by members and affiliates of the drug ring in pharmacies across New York State. They even posed as doctors if a pharmacist called.
Find out what's happening in New Cityfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Oxycodone prescriptions are valuable because the pills can be resold for so much money.
“For example, 30-milligram oxycodone tablets have a street value of approximately $20 to $30 per tablet in the Rockland County area,” according to the indictment.
Hundreds of undercover drug buys were allegedly made at Hudson Valley shopping malls and hotels. Two primary locations where the drugs were sold were the parking lot of the Palisades Center Mall in West Nyack and the Mount Ivy Trailer Park in Pomona.
According to the federal indictment, members of the organization were also eager to begin selling heroin in Monsey, where they said there was great demand.
Of the 17 federal defendants, 11 live in Rockland or Orange county:
- VICTOR ESTEBAN, 27, Bronx, NY; Pomona, NY; Middletown, NY
- JUAN AGRAMONTE, 49, Bronx, NY
- MIGUEL CABRERA, 25, Haverstraw, NY
- EDWIN CEBALLOS, 27, New York, NY
- ROHARIL CRUZ, 27, New York, NY
- ROMELLO DELOATCH, 20, Spring Valley, NY
- ANDREW FLORES, 26, New City, NY
- ROLANDO GARCIA, 20, Garnerville, NY
- WESLEY JACKSON, 27, Newburgh, NY
- ELOM KALEDZI, 31, New City, NY
- CHRISTIAN MINAYA, 21, Garnerville, NY
- BRANDON MORILLO, 22, New York, NY
- RAMON MORILLO, 29, New York, NY
- PEDRO PEREZ, 36, Garnerville, NY; Bronx, NY
- JIMMY RODRIGUEZ, 22, Spring Valley, NY
- JUSHAWN STEVENS, 29, New York, NY
- BRANDON THOMAS, 20, Pomona, NY
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