Katz announces mass arrest of alleged drug ring in Far Rockaway

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced the arrest of 21 members of a network selling fentanyl-laced drugs. Photo via DA’s office

By Rachel Vick

Nearly two dozen people have been arrested in connection with a long term investigation into an alleged drug ring based out of Redfern Houses in Far Rockaway, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz announced Wednesday.

The crew of 21 individuals has been indicted for allegedly selling illegal drugs — which officials found to contain high levels of fentanyl — and running or possessing guns, following a 16 month investigation by law enforcement.

The group formed what Katz described as an “Intricate network of dealers and suppliers.”

“We are going to do all that we can to make sure our communities are safe this summer,” Katz said. “We are determined to make certain no community is held hostage to those who seek to profit from human misery.”

“We focused our investigation where drugs and guns have been a toxic combo for far too long, perpetuated by individual drivers of crime and violence,” she added.

Katz was accompanied by NYPD Chief of Detectives James Essig and Inspector Jason Savino, commanding officer of the NYPD Gun Violence Suppression Division, who have led a number of similar hyper-focused investigations across the city.

Officers seized guns, cocaine, heroin — some of it cut with fentanyl — and other controlled substances packaged in envelopes labeled ‘king of death’ with an image of the grim reaper. Some of what was being sold as heroin tested as pure fentanyl.

In 2020, there were 389 overdose deaths — 70 percent of which are attributed to fentanyl — five times more than there were homicide deaths, Katz said.

A total of seven firearms, 2,000 grams of powder and crack cocaine and 200 grams of heroin were seized by the police.

Charges issued include criminal possession of a weapon and sale of a firearm, and all but one were charged with conspiracy.

“We hope this will not only improve quality of life for residents but drive down violence in the area,” Essig said. “As our courts reopen and cases such as this... we hope in the near future we'll be able to drive down this violence we’re seeing.”

The fatal shooting of a wiretap target is still under investigation.