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May 8, 2014 -- Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara and U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement's Homeland Security Investigations Special Agent in Charge James T. Hayes, Jr. announced today that a multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional effort has resulted in the takedown of a major narcotics trafficking ring in the Hudson Valley and New York City.

Federal, State and local law enforcement agencies, executed search warrants for 22 locations and 10 vehicles in Yonkers, New Rochelle, Hopewell Junction, Newburgh and the Bronx, arresting a total of 16 individuals.

Over 250 investigators, police officers and special agents from the Westchester County District Attorney’s office, Westchester District Attorney’s Narcotics Initiative, the US Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of New York, the FBI, New York State Police, Greenburgh Drug and Alcohol Task Force, ICE-Homeland Security Investigations, Yonkers Police, Village of Ardsley Police, NYPD, DEA and the Bronx District Attorney’s office were all involved in the arrests.

Charged in Westchester County are:

Juan Nieto (DOB 3/21/83) of 452 Olmstead Avenue and 2310 Holland Avenue, Bronx, New York;
Jason “J-Hova” Nieto (DOB 11/30/84) of 104 Patmor Avenue, Yonkers, New York;
Michael “EZ” Figueroa (DOB 5/5/85) of 2323 Walton Avenue, Bronx, New York;
Ernest McCullough (DOB 8/14/75) of 3539 Decatur Avenue, Bronx, New York.

With:

  • Operating as a Major Trafficker, a class”A-1” Felony, (Juan Nieto)
  • Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, a class “A-1” Felony, (Juan and Jason Nieto)
  • Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, a class “A-1” Felony, (Juan and Jason Nieto, Michael Figueroa, Braulio Rosa and Louis Crespo)
  • Conspiracy in the Second Degree, a class “B” Felony, (all)
  • Conspiracy in the Fourth Degree, a class”D” Felony. (all)

Previously arrested and charged in connection with this case are:

  • Louis Crespo (DOB 2/6/83) of 12 New Place, Yonkers, New York;
  • Braulio Rosa (DOB 4/15/81) of Easton, PA;

Charged in the Bronx is:

  • Eric Flores (DOB 12/27/64) of 452 Olmstead Avenue, Bronx, New York,

With:

  • one count of Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree, a class “D” Felony.

In addition, 11 defendants face federal narcotics trafficking charges.

The arrests are the result of a nine-month-long investigation that involved electronic surveillance, undercover buys, pole cameras and GPS devices attached to some of the subjects’ vehicles that culminated in the execution of 11 search warrants issued in New York State Supreme Court and approximately 20 federal search warrants.

As a result of the search warrants, to this point, police seized:

  • 7 handguns
  • one shotgun
  • one bullet proof vest
  • $487,000 in USC
  • 4 kilos of cocaine
  • 40 pounds of marijuana
  • 3 kilo presses
  • numerous cell phones and drug paraphernalia

During the investigation Figueroa, Rosa, Crespo and Raheem “Ra” Robinson (DOB 9/21/63) of 164 Clinton Avenue, Albany, New York were previously arrested and charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree after cops made three separate seizures over 500 grams of cocaine from each.  

Robinson was arrested on Dec. 17, 2013 with 500 grams of cocaine and $10,000 in Albany, New York.

Crespo and Figueroa possessed approximately 800 grams of cocaine and four pounds of marijuana when they were arrested in Greene County on Jan. 9, 2014.

On Jan. 15, 2014, Jose Pereyra was stopped at an area airport attempting to leave the country with over $36,000 in cash.

Rosa possessed over 840 grams of cocaine on March 7, 2014 in Elmsford, New York.  

The cocaine transactions were orchestrated by Juan Nieto and emanated from their home bases of 452 Olmstead Avenue and 3000 Valentine Avenue in the Bronx.

In addition, on six occasions between Aug. and Dec. 2013, Jason Nieto sold large amounts of cocaine to a NYSP undercover investigator in Yonkers, New York.

The “Operating as a Major Trafficker” statute requires that $75,000 worth of narcotics to have been transacted in the past year, well below the estimated $2,000,000 worth of cocaine and marijuana that we believe Juan Nieto was responsible for distributing to dozens of customers since this investigation began last year.

“Law enforcement from all levels, federal, state and local, collaborated in a multi-jurisdictional effort that stretched from New York City to the Hudson Valley. This coordinated effort resulted in the takedown of a major narcotics trafficking operation in New York State. Our ongoing joint efforts with the United States Attorney’s office and the assistance of U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara in this and other prosecutions is a model of collaborative law enforcement and its results,” said Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore.

United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York Preet Bharara said, “These arrests are the product of the ongoing and unparalleled cooperation between our office and the Westchester District Attorney’s Office, and between federal and local law enforcement authorities.  In particular, it is our duty and privilege to work with District Attorney DiFiore and her team to take major narcotics traffickers like the defendants in this case off the streets.  Those who continue to put illegal drugs on the streets will bear the full brunt of joint federal and state law enforcement.”

"Today's enforcement actions disrupted a group of thugs who distributed cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana throughout the New York metropolitan area," said James T. Hayes Jr., special agent in charge of HSI New York.  "HSI partners with prosecutors in all jurisdictions to protect American communities from the scourge of drug traffickers and the deadly public safety threats their organizations pose."

All are to be arraigned in various local courts in Westchester County.

The Westchester defendants face a maximum sentence of twenty years in state prison.

Assistant District Attorney Thomas Luzio, Chief of the Narcotics Bureau and Assistant District Attorney Craig Cecchini of the Narcotics Bureau are prosecuting the state case.

In compliance with Disciplinary Rule 7-107A of the Code of Professional Responsibility, you are advised that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty.