Crime & Safety

Undercover Drug Ring Bust Targets Stag Hill, Rockland County

Two of the 22 people indicted in connection with the ring are from Mahwah, authorities said.

Written by Robin Traum.

An investigation of drug activity in the Stag Hill section of Mahwah and in various areas around Rockland County led to the indictment of 22 people on 66 drug-related counts Monday, Rockland District Attorney Thomas P. Zugibe announced. 

According to Zugibe, the indictments follow a six-month undercover investigation that used court-authorized eavesdropping warrants to target a network of narcotics dealers distributing crack and powdered cocaine in towns throughout the area.

The investigation began in May when the Rockland County Drug Task Force received information from the Town of Ramapo Police Department Street Crime Unit about street-level cocaine dealing, authorities said. Undercover detectives made buys and conducted “buyer beware” operations that included physical surveillance, court-authorized eavesdropping, and search warrants, officials said.

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The defendants arrested in “Operation Say No More” range in age from 20 to 61 and include two brothers, Zugibe announced in a release this week. The defendants are charged with selling cocaine and other controlled substances to undercover police officers on separate occasions in the Hillburn section of Ramapo, NY and Stag Hill area of Mahwah, the release said.

Two of the 22 arrested were Leonardo Powell, 60, and Gloria Ball, 52, both of Mahwah, Zugibe said.

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According to Zugibe, the others arrested include:

  • Peter Bowens, 24, of Hillburn, NY, who is alleged to be a major cocaine distributor in Hillburn
  • Two brothers, Elam Yisrael, 38, of Jersey City and Enaim Yisrael, 37, of NYC, who are allegedly the main suppliers for the gangs in Rockland
  • Wayne Hicks, 24, of Nanuet, NY
  • Emanuele Margiotta, 40, of Nanuet, NY
  • Christine Zeppieri, 38, of Congers, NY
  • Cole Van Dunk, 20, of Central Nyack, NY
  • Enino Munno, 45, of Tappan, NY
  • Rodelain Michel, 36, of Spring Valley, NY
  • Stanley Juin, 27, of Spring Valley, NY
  • Lesley Audate, 24, no hometown listed
  • Kenny Dieudonne, 26, of Spring Valley, NY
  • Rasean Thompson, 24, of Spring Valley, NY
  • Robert Vargas, 22, of Spring Valley, NY
  • Tanisha Jacobs, 37, of Haverstraw, NY
  • Demond Corey Vaughn, 38, of Garnerville, NY
  • Fredly Dubuisson, 31, of Stony Point, NY
  • Frank Hadley, 41, of Haverstraw, NY
  • Everett “Peter” Oliver, 32, of Hillburn, NY

Authorities said they are still looking for one of the indicted, Gladimir Boursiquot, 27, of Spring Valley, NY.

The defendants are variously charged with numerous counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a class “B” Felony, and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, a class “B” Felony, each punishable by up to nine years in prison, Zugibe said. Several of the individuals have extensive prior criminal histories for drug selling, robbery, assault, burglary, parole violation, weapons possession and resisting arrest, he said.

The Mahwah, Ramapo, Haverstraw, Clarkstown, Orangetown, Spring Valley, and Suffern, police departments and New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, and New York State Police Troop F - Haverstraw K-9 Unit were involved in the investigation. 


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