24 Locals Charged in Operation Heroin Highway

Of the 161 people arrested in a recent heroin bust, 24 were from Smithtown, St. James and Nesconset; more than half of the 41 arrested in the Town of Smithtown.

The majority of the people arrested were 21-years-old or younger, according the the Queens District Attorney's office.

The bust, dubbed "Operation Heroin Highway"played out over the course of a year, originating in Queens and expanding into Nassau and Suffolk Counties. The results of the operation were announced last week by the Queens District Attorney's office. In all, officers seized more than 8,000 glassine envelopes of heroin, more than five kilograms of heroin, 2.7 kilograms of cocaine and five pistols, a shotgun and an assault rifle.

"The main defendants are accused of operating as a tightly knit ring that catered almost exclusively to drug buyers from the eastern end of Long Island, virtually turning the Long Island Expressway in the 'Heroin Highway', said Queens District Attorney, Richard Brown, in a statement.

"This bust shows an inordinate amount of young people from Smithtown but make no mistake it's ravaging families island-wide," said Maureen Rossi, president of Kings Park in the kNOw, an anti-drug coalition.

Rossi says her group  works closely with local law and drug enforcement agencies  applauds the recent arrests and says the heroin problem has reached epidemic levels

"Bottom line, we have a crisis on our hands," said Rossi. "Getting some of the heroin off the street is a big piece of the puzzle."  However, Rossi says we must not forget about prevention and educating young people about the dangers of and addictive nature of opiates. 

The Queens D.A.'s office has released the names of those from Kings Park who were arrested. Some of the names are not released because a case is sealed  Cases that may have been adjourned in contemplation of dismissal, the defendants are enrolled in a drug treatment program or the individual defendants may have pleaded guilty to a violation, are reasons for a case to be sealed.

Smithtown

• Male, 22 - Case Sealed.
• Male, 18 - Case Sealed.
• Male, 18 - Case Sealed.
• Female, 21 - Case Sealed.
• Female, 19 - Case Sealed.
• Joseph Bouchedid, 21, was arrested on November 16, 2011, and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. The case is pending.
• Male, 21 - Case Sealed.
• Nicholas Fasanelli, 26, was arrested on December 6, 2011, and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. The case is pending.
• Jonathan Kortman, 24, was arrested on December 5, 2011, and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. The case is pending.
• Paul Lucente, 30, was arrested on December 6, 2011, and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. A bench warrant has since been issued for his arrest.
• Female, 21 - Case Sealed.
• Kevin Soukup, 21, was arrested on July 5, 2011, and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty on September 22, 2011, to seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and received a conditional discharge.
• Male, 23 - Case Sealed.

St. James

• Darren Bennett, 25, was arrested February 4, 2011, and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty on April 4, 2011, to seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to three years’ probation.
• Male, 24 - Case Sealed.
• John Minto, 18, was arrested on December 5, 2011, and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. The case is pending.
• Male, 19 - Case Sealed.

Nesconset

• Marisa Chayet, 21, was arrested on February 24, 2011, and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. A bench warrant has since been issued for her arrest.
• Lee Colfin, 29, was arrested on July 5, 2011, and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty on September 22, 2011, to seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 90 days jail.
• Christopher Curiale, 29, was arrested February 7, 2011, and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty on November 22, 2011, to seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to three years’ probation.
• Nicholas Galante, 29, was arrested February 17, 2011, and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty on November 22, 2011, to fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to five years’ probation.
• Christopher Gullo, 39, was arrested on July 1, 2011, and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. The case is pending.
• Male, 24 - Case Sealed
• Ryan Miskovsky, 25, was arrested on January 11, 2011, and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty on March 10, 2011, to fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to one year in jail.