FIVE MILLION DOLLARS IN HEROIN SEIZED

 IN HARTSDALE DRUG STASH HOUSE

Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore and Westchester County Department of Public Safety Commissioner Thomas Belfiore announced today that as part of the continuing investigation into a stash house raided last week at 25 Lytton Avenue in Hartsdale, fifteen pounds of heroin was discovered in an elaborately disguised “floor trap” in a bedroom closet of the house.

 The estimated street value of the narcotics is $5,000,000. Earlier $1,000,000 of heroin was confiscated from individuals arrested exiting the house.

The location of the additional narcotics was developed from information garnered after the arrests of eight individuals as a result of a joint Westchester District Attorney Narcotics Initiative (W-DANI), NYPD, Westchester County Department of Public Safety, NYSP and DEA surveillance and investigation with assistance from the Greenburgh Drug and Alcohol Task Force.

Angel Thevenin (DOB 7/02/62) of 1511 Cooper Avenue, Queens, New York was charged with one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree, a Class "A-1" Felony, Americo W. Martinez (DOB 2/5/60), Bienvenido Matos-Lopez (DOB 4/24/75), Jose E. Martinez (DOB 4/6/75) and Nelvyn Severino (DOB 9/26/85) all of 1774 Townsend Avenue, The Bronx, New York, Wilson M. Nunez (DOB 2/4/63) of 2487 Davidson Avenue, The Bronx, New York, Adalgisa Baez (DOB 1/22/61) of 345 Grove Street, Brooklyn, New York and Juan Rivera-Escalante (DOB 11/4/73) of 1561 East Metropolitan Avenue, The Bronx, New York all were charged with one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a Class "B" Felony.

Additional charges are pending subsequent to this latest seizure.

All the defendants have been remanded to the Westchester County Jail.

Assistant District Attorney Tom Luzio, Chief of the Narcotics Bureau, will prosecute the case.

"Floor Trap" in a bedroom closet"

 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.