Drug-Distribution Ring Busted

Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota announced a major arrest sweep of East End drug dealers on Tuesday. The result, he said, is the destruction of two big operations, one dealing in cocaine; the other, heroin.

According to Robert Clifford, spokesman for Mr. Spota, while the drugs were coming from UpIsland, the 14 arrests made will impact drug traffic at the street level in East Hampton, Southampton, and on the North Fork. Among those arrested were three members of the Bloods street gang. 

The cocaine operation was run out of Riverhead and Southampton, with the narcotic supplied by Corey Woodley, 36, of Flanders and Eric Thomas, who goes by the street name of “E,” 42, of Riverhead. Mr. Thomas was said to be on parole after serving two years in state prison on drug-dealing charges. 

A key arrest of the 14 made that could affect East Hampton directly was that of Ronald Paschall, 42, known as “App,” of Northampton. According to the district attorney, who spoke at a press conference in Riverside attended by many local officials, Mr. Paschall is a member of the Stones, an offshoot of the Bloods. “Paschall was picking up cocaine twice a week, which he then sold to resellers who distributed it to users in East Hampton, Riverhead, Southampton, and Southold Towns,” he said.

Another member of the Stones arrested was Jimmy Dean, 38, of Baiting Hollow. He was described as a gang leader who has already served five years on drug-dealing charges. When his house was raided police found a loaded shotgun by his bed, as well as a semi-automatic Glock, which allegedly was in his car.

The East Hampton Town Police Department was not directly involved in the operation, which is ongoing, though it does contribute officers to the East End Drug Task Force. Capt. Chris Anderson would not comment yesterday on the arrests, since they were made by another agency, but did talk about the increase of drugs in East Hampton, saying that it is fueled, in part, by the return of heroin, itself a byproduct of the increase in synthetic opioids, such as Oxycodone.