8 Charged In Scheme To Traffic Drugs Into Riverhead Jail: Sheriff

RIVERHEAD, NY — Eight people were charged with conspiring to trafficking drugs into the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in Riverhead through the U.S. postal service and visitations, Sheriff Errol Toulon said.

Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office investigators from the criminal investigations bureau and internal security, in collaboration with the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office, conducted a three-month investigation that resulted in five civilian visitors and three inmates being charged with 25 felonies and 12 misdemeanors, including conspiracy, criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminal sale of a controlled substance, promoting prison contraband, and criminal facilitation, Toulon said.

An undetermined amount of drugs including heroin, buprenorphine, cannabis, K2spice and other contraband were trafficked by sewing the drugs into the fabric of clothing and other property, as well as secreting them into the packaging material itself, Toulon said.

Those charged utilized the U.S. mail and civilians visiting jailed inmates in an attempt to traffic the articles into the jail, where the articles were found by Sheriff’s Office investigators who were conducting surveillance and phone monitoring throughout the investigation, Toulon said.

Visitors charged include Alimatou Fall, 22, of Mastic Beach; he was charged with third-degree possession of a controlled substance, a felony; first-degree promoting prison contraband, a felony; third-degree sale of a controlled substance, a felony; fourth-degree conspiracy, a felony; fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance, a felony; and fifth-degree sale of a controlled substance, Toulon said.

Visitor Briana Boris, 21, of Mastic Beach was arrested and charged with second-degree promoting prison contraband, a misdemeanor; first-degree promoting prison contraband, a felony; fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance, a felony; fifth-degree sale of a controlled substance, a felony; and fifth-degree conspiracy, a misdemeanor, Toulon said.

Nate Flores, 27, of Sound Beach, was arrested and charged with first-degree promoting prison contraband, a felony; fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance, a felony; fifth-degree sale of a controlled substance, a felony; and fifth-degree conspiracy, a misdemeanor, Toulon said.

Paula Routi, 57, of Setauket, was arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree promoting prison contraband, a felony; two counts of fifth-degree sale of a controlled substance, a felony; two counts of fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance, a felony, and fifth-degree conspiracy, a misdemeanor, Toulon said.

Albertina Garcia, 54, of Port Jefferson Station, was arrested and charged with first-degree promoting prison contraband, a felony; fifth-degree possession of a controlled substance; a felony; fifth-degree sale of a controlled substance, a felony; and fifth-degree conspiracy, a misdemeanor, Toulon said.

Inmates charged include Ray Pena of Port Jefferson Station, who was charged with first-degree promoting prison contraband, a felony; and fifth-degree conspiracy, a misdemeanor, Toulon said.

Jahmohri Mitchell, of Shirley ,was charged with first-degree attempted promoting prison contraband, a felony; second-degree attempted promoting prison contraband, a misdemeanor; two counts of fourth-degree criminal facilitation, a misdemeanor; fifth-degree conspiracy, a misdemeanor; and fourth-degree conspiracy, a felony, Toulon said.

Jonah Routi, of Setauket, was charged with first-degree attempted promoting prison contraband, a felony; fifth-degree conspiracy, a misdemeanor; and fourth-degree criminal facilitation, a misdemeanor, Toulon said.

“Through surveillance, searches, and detailed investigatory work, these investigators were able to uncover a complex plan to traffic dangerous drugs into the facility," Toulon said. "I thank them and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s office for their hard work and dedication to keeping the staff and inmates of the Suffolk County Correctional Facility safe and for stopping these drugs from getting into our facility."

“The defendants allegedly conspired to introduce dangerous drugs into the SCCF. Thanks to the excellent work of the Sheriff’s Office criminal investigations bureau, working with prosecutors from my office, this scheme was thwarted,” said Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney.