Murder Arrest Follows Sweep

Hours after a major drug sweep ended last Thursday morning, a Mastic youth was arrested and charged with murdering a Hampton Bays man, whose body was found in his parked car in a Riverside area known for drug dealing.

Some members of the black community have since hinted that the arrest was connected with the drug sweep, saying the murdered man, Gary Youngman, was a police informant, and that the sweep, which netted 65 persons, was conducted to put pressure on low-level dealers to talk.

The arrest of John McGhee, 18, a student at William Floyd High School, was announced by county homicide detectives about seven hours after "Operation Save Our Streets" was concluded.

The McGhee youth, who is black, is accused of shooting Mr. Youngman, 41, in the head. The killing occurred on Old Quogue Road the night of Oct. 14.

The murdered man's father, Albert Youngman of Hampton Bays, said his son "was very involved with the police. He was arrested a lot. He was in desperate straits."

Mr. Youngman said he "didn't think" his son had been working with the police, however, though it was hard to say: "He kept everything to himself. He slept all day and did his business in the night."

County homicide detectives said on Friday that Mr. Youngman, a white man, had a "minor record."

"Coincidence"

Lieut. John Gierasch of the County Homicide Department said the timing of the drug sweep and the arrest of the McGhee youth was "a mere coincidence."

"These were two completely separate investigations," he said.

However, at least one member of the black community in Riverhead said she had been told by an officer there that the sweep was to have taken place nearer to Election Day but was moved up after the murder.

"They were definitely connected," the source said the officer told her.

Riverhead Police Chief Joseph Grattan said he had no information that Mr. Youngman was working for the police.

Father's Story

Lieutenant Gierasch said the McGhee youth had friends in the neighborhood where the murder occurred, and that he surfaced as a suspect early in the investigation. Charged with second-degree murder, he is being held without bail in the county jail in Riverhead.