2 Hauppauge, 7 Nesconset Residents Charged in Operation Heroin Highway

Two Hauppauge residents and seven Nesconset residents were among the 41 Town of Smithtown residents arrested in a long-term heroin bust announced last week by Queens County District Attorney.

The bust, dubbed "Operation Heroin Highway"played out over the course of a year, originating in Queens and expanding into Nassau and Suffolk Counties. In all, officers seized more than 8,000 glassine envelopes of heroin, more than five kilograms of heroin, 2.7 kilograms of cocaine and five pistols, a shotgun and an assault rifle.

"The main defendants are accused of operating as a tightly knit ring that catered almost exclusively to drug buyers from the eastern end of Long Island, virtually turning the Long Island Expressway in the 'Heroin Highway', said Queens District Attorney, Richard Brown, in a statement.

"This bust shows an inordinate amount of young people from Smithtown but make no mistake it's ravaging families island-wide," said Maureen Rossi, president of Kings Park in the kNOw, an anti-drug coalition.

Rossi says her group works closely with local law and drug enforcement agencies applauds the recent arrests and says the heroin problem has reached epidemic levels

"Bottom line, we have a crisis on our hands," said Rossi. "Getting some of the heroin off the street is a big piece of the puzzle." However, Rossi says we must not forget about prevention and educating young people about the dangers of and addictive nature of opiates.

The Queens D.A.'s office has released the names of those from Hauppauge and Nesconset who were arrested. Some of the names or cases are sealed and are cases that may have been adjourned in contemplation of dismissal, the individual defendants may have pleaded guilty to a violation or the defendants are enrolled in a drug treatment program.

Hauppauge

• Jared Bodnar, 21, of Hauppauge, was arrested on July 26, 2011, and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. A bench warrant for his arrest was issued on Aug. 18, 2011.
  
  
• Ian Wolf, 30, of Hauppauge, was arrested on Dec. 27, 2011, and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. The case is pending.

Nesconset

• Marisa Chayet, 21, of Nesconset was arrested on Feb. 24, 2011, and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. A bench warrant has since been issued for her arrest.
  
  
• Lee Colfin, 29, of Nesconset, was arrested on July 5, 2011, and charged with seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty on Sept. 22, 2011, to seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to 90 days in prison.
  
  
• Christopher Curiale, 29, of Nesconset, was arrested February 7, 2011, and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 22, 2011, to seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to three years of probation.
  
  
• Nicholas Galante, 29, of Nesconset, was arrested February 17, 2011, and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty on Nov. 22, 2011, to fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to five years of probation.
  
  
• Christopher Gullo, 39, of Nesconset, was arrested on July 1, 2011, and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. The case is pending.
  
  
• Ryan Miskovsky, 25, of Nesconset, was arrested on Jan. 11, 2011, and charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He pleaded guilty on March 10, 2011, to fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and was sentenced to one year in prison.
  
  
• Male, 24 - Case Sealed.