Arrest In Cocaine Sale
Two Montauk residents were arrested this week and charged with selling more than a half-kilo of cocaine to undercover officers over the past several months.
The arrests capped a nine-month investigation conducted by the Suffolk County Police East End Drug Team, with assistance from East Hampton Town police. More arrests may be coming, officials said.
Charged in the sting with criminal sale of a controlled substance were Henry de Jesus Castaneda, 35, of West Lake Drive, and Luz Marleny Henrao de Rivera, 41, of Edgemere Road. Mr. Castaneda faces two counts of first-degree sale; Ms. Rivera, one count each of first and second-degree sale.
All the charges are felonies.
Undercover
According to the County Narcotics Division, the sales date back as far as Sept. 20, 1996, when Mr. Castaneda, an employee of Cyril's Fish House on Napeague, allegedly sold more than four ounces of cocaine to an undercover officer for $2,600. The transaction took place at the restaurant, police said.
Police allege Mr. Castaneda sold another more-than-four-ounce quantity to the same undercover officer about three weeks later at the Offshore Sports Marina in Montauk. This time, the price was $3,625.
He was arrested last Thursday.
As for Ms. de Rivera, county police claim she sold cocaine to an undercover officer on two occasions in East Hampton: on Nov. 9, 1996, at a house on Montauk Highway, and on Nov. 15, 1996, in the Reutershan parking lot. One of the packages had already been divided into 27 smaller packages, police said.
Together, the cocaine allegedly came to just under four ounces, for a combined price of $3,600.
25-To-Life
The charges against the alleged dealers were far more serious than any of those lodged in the large drug sweep in Montauk last November, orchestrated by state, county, and town police. Most of the 14 defendants in that sweep were considered low-level users and/or dealers; their sentences ranged from six months to three-to-nine years.
If convicted, Mr. Castaneda and Ms. de Rivera face maximum sentences of 25-years-to-life.
Ms. de Rivera, who has worked as a housekeeper for the Hermitage and Ocean Dunes resorts, was arrested on Sunday. She remained at the county jail in Riverhead as of yesterday in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Mr. Castaneda was released Friday on $10,000 bail, posted by the owner of Cyril's, Cyril Fitzsimons, in East Hampton Town Justice Court.
"Connections"
Det. Lieut. Hall Coleman of the County Narcotics Division, described the two as "entrepreneurs. They had the availability. They had the connections, and they were certainly capable of dealing on that level."
He said the "bulk" of the cocaine likely came from New York City.
"There are other people we're looking at," Lieutenant Coleman said. "People that were in a position to supply these people."
Less serious drug charges were lodged against three others in East Hampton over the week, involving small amounts of cocaine and marijuana.
In A Parking Lot
In the pre-dawn hours of Saturday, an officer checking stores in Amagansett stumbled upon two men allegedly smoking a joint in the municipal parking lot.
When approached, police said, the two dropped the joint and claimed they were not smoking anything.
The officer charged David B. Kessler, 34, of Kew Gardens and John H. Nels, 42, of Montclair, N.Y., with fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana, a misdemeanor.
The two were released on $50 bail.
According to town police, a foot patrol officer in Amagansett Saturday night came upon a man in the alleyway next to McKendry's pub, holding what appeared to be a packet of cocaine.
The man, Andrew A. Lago, 25, of Manhattan turned over the packet to the officer and was charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, a misdemeanor.
The packet tested positive for cocaine, police said.
Mr. Lago was released on $200 bail.