Staten Island gang members snared in drug ring bust after 15-month NYPD, DA probe
- Oops!Something went wrong.Please try again later.
A gang flooded illegal drugs into a violence-plagued Staten Island neighborhood for over a year, cops and prosecutors said Tuesday as they announced the arrests of 15 people on narcotics and other charges.
The crew pushed “large quantities” of cocaine, oxycodone, methamphetamine and marijuana across the island over the past 15 months, said Staten Island DA Michael McMahon.
The ring focused its efforts on and around Jersey St. — a notoriously dangerous stretch of road that runs from Richmond Terrace to Victory Blvd. in New Brighton, prosecutors said.
The operation, dubbed “D-Rail the Corridor” by investigators, kicked off in April 2021.
Over the following months, detectives seized more than 40 grams of cocaine, 3,100 ecstasy pills containing methamphetamine, 100 grams of crack cocaine and 360 oxycodone pills.
In addition to peddling drugs to folks in the neighborhood, the gang made several fatal mistakes — they sold to undercover detectives numerous times, prosecutors said.
Arrested in the takedown were Durail Miles, Nathaniel Winfield, Juan Laureano, Arthur Williams, Hector Espinosa, Sharif Clark, Steven Malloy, Shann Murria, Wiley Holman, Azjaye Allen, Milton Stilley, Glen Howard, Zaquon Williams, Tavon Ryner and Sefu Luthman.
The alleged gang members were all arraigned Tuesday on varying charges of criminal sale of a controlled substance, conspiracy and related charges.
Three of them were previously hit with weapons charges as police recovered firearms throughout the duration of the long-term bust, prosecutors said.
The alleged gang members were charged in a series of seven indictments.
McMahon said the investigation dismantled a drug ring that afflicted the day-to-day lives of New Brighton residents.
McMahon said his office and the NYPD “will not allow hard-working Staten Islanders to be held hostage by violent gangs and drug dealers.”
“We remain more determined than ever to rid our communities of this scourge of drug dealing and street violence,” McMahon said in a statement.
