LI Men, Prison Officer, Ran Multimillion-Dollar Drug Ring: DA

SUFFOLK COUNTY, NY — Five men — including a correctional officer — were arrested and accused of running a massive, cross-country drug trafficking ring operating out of Suffolk County, District Attorney Tim Sini said Monday.

Officers seized 19 kilograms of narcotics and more than $1.5 million in cash, Sini said. Police launched an investigation in May 2019.

James Sosa, 25, of Wading River; Brian Sullivan, 24, of Lake Grove; and Dashawn Jones, 33, of Passaic, New Jersey, were charged with operating as a major drug trafficker, conspiracy and drug crimes.

Anthony Leonardi, 46, of Coram, was charged with conspiracy and Anthony Cyntje, 22, of Passaic, New Jersey, was charged with conspiracy and drug possession. Cyntje is a New Jersey state correctional officer, Sini said.

Sini said the men would purchase narcotics on the West Coast for transportation back to Suffolk County. Then they would make cross-country trips in vehicles and airplanes and use the mail to move narcotics and cash, often switching these methods to thwart detection by law enforcement, Sini said.

Law enforcement officers executed search warrants on Saturday at six locations in connection with the alleged drug distribution ring, including residences in Wading River, Lake Grove, Port Jefferson Station, Coram, Selden and Brentwood, Sini said.

The search warrants resulted in the seizure of 16 kilograms of cocaine, two kilograms of heroin, $1.5 million in cash, 4,000 oxycodone pills, nine firearms, and drug paraphernalia consistent with packaging and sales, including kilogram presses and cutting agents, Sini said.

In addition, numerous luxury vehicles used in the transport of narcotics were seized and will forgo forfeiture proceedings, Sini said.

Law enforcement previously seized one kilogram of cocaine earlier in the investigation, for a total of 19 kilograms of narcotics seized, Sini said.

The cocaine has an estimated street value of $1.6 million and the heroin, $520,000, Sini said. The resale value of the narcotics once processed and mixed with cutting agents is estimated to be more than $4 million, Sini said.

The investigation revealed that the drug ring would procure narcotics on an almost weekly basis, with a street value of about $2.1 million per week, Sini said.

If convicted of the top count, Sosa, Sullivan and Jones each face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison; Leonardi faces a maximum sentence of 12 and one-half to 25 years in prison; and Cyntje faces a maximum sentence of eight and one-third to 25 years in prison, Sini said.

"The magnitude of this drug distribution ring is enormous; they were responsible for peddling millions of dollars in narcotics on an almost weekly basis," Sini said. "Not only did this organization continue their illicit operation during the coronavirus pandemic, they were also exploiting the limited availability of certain narcotics during the health crisis to generate even greater profits off their sales."

"We’ve put a large-scale drug distribution network out of business and prevented 19 kilograms of narcotics from reaching the streets of Suffolk County," Sini said.

Sini commended members of the DA's special narcotics bureau in collaboration with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Suffolk County Police Department, the U.S. Postal Service Office of Inspector General and all law enforcement partners involved in the investigation.

“This investigation exemplifies how drug traffickers have been impacted by the coronavirus; adapting smuggling methods, transportation routes, and money laundering operations to maintain security and social distancing,” said Ray Donovan, special agent in charge of the DEA’s New York division. “Allegedly, the Sosa organization’s operation was a major drug supplier for Long Island and the Tri-State area; and by seizing nine guns and millions of dollars’ worth of illicit narcotics, law enforcement is saving lives.”

The arrests are "another example of the focus and tenacity of the men and women of this department as they continue their relentless work to protect our residents," Suffolk County Police Commissioner Geraldine Hart said. "By intercepting 17 kilos of cocaine and arresting five people, three of whom are major traffickers, this investigation has a significant impact on the drug supply in Suffolk County and will help us stop the spread of narcotics."

The investigation involved numerous investigative techniques, including the use of court-authorized eavesdropping, Sini said.