Arrested Gilberto Rivera, 25, of Oakdale and Felix Cruz, 29, of Brooklyn

Arrested Gilberto Rivera, 25, of Oakdale and Felix Cruz, 29, of Brooklyn, after they completed a transaction in the parking lot of the Islandia Marriott Hotel on Saturday.Suffolk District Attorney Thomas Spota and Major Walter Heesch, commander of the State Police on Long Island, announced the arrests at a Hauppauge news conference yesterday. Heesch said a kilogram of heroin - about 2 pounds - is worth about $350,000 on the street."We developed information from a confidential source," Heesch said. The district attorney, the Suffolk police and sheriff, and the Drug Enforcement Administration later joined the State Police.Spota said Suffolk had 63 fatal heroin overdoses in 2008 and that Rivera is "a major dealer."These dealers are flooding our community with cheap, potent heroin," Spota said. "It's reaching right down into high school."Detectives seized $25,000 in cash and 5,000 packets of heroin packaged for street sales from inside the men's car, police said.Since Saturday, police have seized about 3 kilograms of heroin, cocaine, oxycodone pills, drug processing equipment and 50 guns from the two ringleaders and their underlings. They also seized about $200,000 in cash.Heroin and cocaine in both powder and crack forms were packaged at an apartment Cruz maintained at 32-15 112th St. in East Elmhurst and were then taken to Suffolk for sale.Rivera used local runners to sell the drugs.
Rivera and Cruz were charged with second-degree possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. Rivera is also charged with third-degree criminal possession of a weapon and is being held on bail of $25 million or $50 million bond. Cruz's bail is $1 million cash or $3 million bond.Also arrested on various drug, weapons and conspiracy charges were: Rolando Hamilton, Brooklyn; Paul Ortiz, Shirley; Willie Hart, Central Islip; Edward Davis, Bay Shore; Juliann Critelli, Bay Shore; Corarene Singh, Central Islip; Magdalena Davis, Central Islip; Robert Pittell, Centerport; Tariq Williams, Bay Shore; James DeVito, Nesconset, and Marty Hake, West Sayville.

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Frederic Stephens traveled almost daily between Westbury and Suffolk to sell cocaine to both users and dealers

Frederic Stephens, who has addresses in Westbury and East Hampton, bought the drugs in Nassau and sold them on the East End.
Police have evidence that Stephens traveled almost daily between Westbury and Suffolk to sell cocaine to both users and dealers, Clifford said. Investigators have so far recovered less than 4 ounces of crack and powder cocaine, split into dozens of separate packages, Clifford said. Clifford said the foil-wrapped packages were discovered in some brush behind homes on Springs Fireplace Road and in other wooded areas in East Hampton.Stephens, 42, was arrested Sept. 5 and charged with three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance. He pleaded not guilty that day in East Hampton Town Justice Court. Judge Catherine A. Cahill ordered him held without bail.Stephens' lawyer, Élan Markewitz, of Riverhead, declined to comment.Clifford said the investigation was conducted by the East End Drug Task Force, which included investigators from the district attorney's office, State Police, and Suffolk County Sheriff's Department, along with investigators from several East End villages and towns.

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