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Suffolk County Police

Four individuals were arrested this week for allegedly operating a prostitution and money laundering enterprise in Suffolk County.

According to Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini, Homeland Security Investigations and the Suffolk County Police Department began an investigation in 2018 into alleged prostitution at two massage parlors at 1442 Middle Country Road and 2661 Middle County Road in Centereach. 

JianXin You, 56, of Manhattan, Li Fang, 38, of Flushing, Guang Xu, 46, of Flushing and JinYe Wu, 35, of Brooklyn were all charged with different counts of money laundering, conspiracy and prostitution. 

“What is unique about this investigation is that historically, investigations into illicit massage parlors often result in the arrest of workers during raids,” Sini said in a statement. “What we have here is a different approach: one that gets to the root of the problem by targeting the leadership of the criminal organization behind these establishments and dismantling that enterprise from the top.”

The investigation revealed evidence that You and her associates allegedly engaged in a pattern of promoting prostitution at the locations by procuring female workers, soliciting patrons and profiting from the prostitution operation.

Additionally, the defendants allegedly laundered the criminal proceeds through various methods, including depositing cash into a business entity account in the name of New Green Aroma Spa Inc., to pay for expenses associated with the illegal operation, remitting large sums of money to other individuals’ accounts, purchasing property, and exchanging the proceeds for foreign currencies.

“This alleged criminal network made hundreds of thousands of dollars off the backs of the women they employed while putting the health of those workers and the community at risk, and deteriorating the quality of life in these neighborhoods,” Sini added. 

The search warrants at the locations resulted in the recovery of two ghost guns, which were seized from a private residence in connection with the investigation, and more than $250,000 cash.

The defendants are scheduled to be arraigned today in Suffolk County First District Court.

If convicted, You, Fang and Xu each face a maximum sentence of eight and one-third to 25 years in prison. If convicted, Wu faces a maximum sentence of two and one-third to seven years in prison.

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Suffolk County Police said a pedestrian in Coram was injured by a Mount Sinai man’s vehicle early Wednesday morning and is now in critical condition.

Police said Grace Schmidt, 53, of Coram, stepped into the southbound lane of Route 112, near Barone Drive, from the median and was struck by a 2018 Isuzu box truck at 4:55 a.m.

Schmidt was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital where she was admitted in critical condition.

The driver of the truck, John Paola, 21, of Mount Sinai, and his passenger were not injured.

The investigation is continuing. Anyone with information is asked to call the 6th Squad at 631-854-8652.

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Suffolk County police car. File photo

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers and Riverhead Town Police Department detectives are seeking the public’s help to identify and locate the person people who caused a fire at a home in Wading River Monday.

An unknown person allegedly threw an incendiary device was thrown at a residence on Sound Road in Wading River Nov. 16 at around 8 p.m. A resident immediately extinguished the fire and no one was injured. Detectives from the Suffolk County Police Department Arson Section responded to assist in the investigation.

The Riverhead News Review reported owners said it may have involved the resident’s lawn signs, which preached inclusivity and fair treatment of women and minorities.

Suffolk County Crime Stoppers offers a cash reward for information that leads to an arrest. Anyone with information about these incidents can contact Suffolk County Crime Stoppers to submit an anonymous tip by calling 1-800-220-TIPS (8477), utilizing a mobile app which can be downloaded through the App Store or Google Play by searching P3 Tips, or online at www.P3Tips.com. All calls, text messages and emails are kept confidential.

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PJ Resident Connor Fitterer, center, along with two of his friends, set up this sign based on an internet meme in response to the Setauket Patriots’ “Trump Victory Parade” Nov. 8. Photo by Kyle Barr

“F*** the Democrats — If you are a Liberal, you should be executed.” The words blared out from one of the lead trucks ahead of a small caravan of about 20 cars through Port Jefferson in an event organizers called a “Trump Victory Parade” Sunday, Nov. 8. 

The Setauket Patriots hosted a “Trump Victory Parade” Nov. 8, though

 

The inflammatory words went largely unnoticed from the few pedestrians walking in Port Jeff the unseasonably warm late fall morning. A few passing bystanders gave calls of support for President Donald Trump (R) to the passing cars, and the event lasted only around 10 minutes. It was a far cry from the hundreds of vehicles that passed through the village earlier in October as a series of caravans hosted by the right-wing online group Setauket Patriots. That caravan traveled the route through Port Jeff, Setauket and St. James before heading out toward a much larger rally in East Northport and the Walt Whitman Mall. Though most news outlets have declared a victory to Trump’s Democratic opponent Joe Biden Saturday, many of the president’s supporters on Long Island continue to propagate unfounded conspiracy theories of widespread, interstate voter fraud favoring Biden.

This is despite the fact while the president lost the election via electoral votes, Democrats also lost seats in the House of Representatives and control of the Senate will depend on a Georgia runoff election in January.

Stats from the Suffolk County Board of Elections currently show the president holds a 55.5% tally compared to Biden’s 43%, though there are many thousands of absentee ballots still left to count.

Port Jefferson’s constables as well as Suffolk County police directed traffic through the village. In the village’s Nov. 2 board of trustees meeting, Will Zieman, 6th Precinct COPE officer, said that during the Oct. 17 caravan there were no arrests made, but he referred to incidents during the first caravan that “devolved” when people exited their vehicles in Setauket to confront counterprotesters. Three individuals from the North Country Peace Group were arrested that day for alleged disorderly conduct standing in front of the caravan’s path.

“We were prepared to proceed forward with pressing charges on behalf of individuals, right now those investigations are pending based on the complainants,” Zieman said. “There are some pending arrests that might be taking place.”

Otherwise the COPE officer said police were trying to make sure the caravan went in and out of the village safely and without incident.

There were other rallies across Long Island by Trump supporters, including in front of the News 12 Long Island offices in Woodbury.

Though there weren’t many Trump supporters on the sidelines that Sunday in Port Jeff, a few local residents set up a table next to Main Street with a sign that read “Trump Lost the Election/Change My Mind.” The sign is based on an internet meme originated when conservative online personality Steven Crowder posted a picture of him sitting outside Texas Christian University with a sign reading “Male Privilege Is a Myth/Change My Mind.”

PJ resident Connor Fitterer, who set up the table just outside the entrance to Chandler Square from Main Street along with two of his friends, said they brought the table there in response to the Setauket Patriots’ supposed call of a Trump victory. He said that while many of his more liberally minded friends were “genuinely nervous” about supporters’ reactions to Trump’s defeat, he wasn’t very nervous about putting himself in that position. 

“They say, ‘You’re just taking their word that democracy works,’ but isn’t that what we’ve been doing for the past 200 years?” Fitterer said. 

This article has been amended to include audio of the caravan.

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Suffolk County Police detectives are investigating a shooting that seriously injured a man in Selden Sunday night.

Police said a 22-year-old man was shot outside Fairfield at Selden, an apartment complex located at 111 College Road, at around 8:50 p.m. The victim, a resident of the apartment complex, was transported to a local hospital for treatment of serious but non-life-threatening injuries. Police did not release the name of the man  or which hospital he was being sent to.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to call 6th Squad detectives at 631-854-8652 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS (8477). All calls are kept confidential.

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*UPDATE* Police said Grady Whidbee, of Terryville, has been located unharmed.

Suffolk County Police have issued a Silver Alert for a missing Terryville man who has dementia.

Grady Whidbee

Police said Grady Whidbee left Woodhaven Adult Home, located at 1350 Route 112, Nov. 6 at around 3:30 p.m. Whidbee is a resident of the facility.

Whidbee, 67, is Black, 5 feet 8 inches tall, approximately 220 pounds with grey hair. He was last seen wearing a blue and red coat and sneakers. He uses a walker.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on Whidbee’s location to call 911 or the 6th Squad at 631-854-8652.

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Suffolk County Police said they are investigating a car crash that killed a woman in Hauppauge Monday morning.

Police said Michelle Carpenter, 35 of Selden, was driving a 2000 Pontiac Grand Prix westbound on the Long Island Expressway near exit 53 Oct. 2 when she swerved to avoid traffic that had stopped in front of her. Carpenter lost control of the vehicle, which struck a tree and flipped over in the wooded area off the shoulder at around 8:15 a.m.

Carpenter was transported to Southside Hospital in Bay Shore where she was pronounced dead. A 4-year-old boy who was in the rear seat was transported to Good Samaritan Hospital Medical Center in West Islip for treatment of minor injuries.

The vehicle was impounded for a safety check. Detectives are asking anyone with information about the crash to call the 4th Precinct at 631-854-8452.

Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini. File photo by Alex Petroski

U.S. and Suffolk officials announced the indictment of 15 individuals, including several North Shore and Middle Country residents, as part of an alleged drug ring.

Suffolk County District Attorney Tim Sini (D), the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration and the DEA’s Long Island Heroin Task Force today announced the indictment, saying all were either part of gangs or were helping to distribute drugs including fentanyl, meth, cocaine and marijuana.

“My Office has made it clear that gangs and drugs have no place in our communities,” Sini said in a release.

The Suffolk DA’s office, DEA and DEA’s Long Island Heroin Task Force began an investigation in the fall of 2019 into alleged drug dealing by several gang members and associates primarily in the Town of Brookhaven. The investigation involved the use of undercover officers, roving surveillance, electronic surveillance, and court authorized eavesdropping. 

Search warrants were executed Sept. 16 at three residential locations in Ronkonkoma, Coram and Central Islip, during which law enforcement recovered approximately 12 grams of crack cocaine, nine grams of fentanyl, 51 grams of methamphetamines, 12 grams of marijuana, and various paraphernalia consistent with drug sales, including cutting agent, packaging materials and a scale. Law enforcement also seized a loaded .22 caliber handgun, a loaded .40 caliber handgun and a loaded .38 caliber revolver from the locations.

On Sept. 29, search warrants were executed at five additional locations in connection with the investigation in Farmingville, Middle Island, Coram and Centereach. Law enforcement recovered approximately 711 grams of heroin/fentanyl, 99 grams of heroin, 109 grams of cocaine, 116 grams of crack cocaine, 18 grams of Oxycodone pills, 12 ounces of marijuana, and various paraphernalia consistent with drug sales, including a hydraulic kilo press, digital scales, and packaging materials. Law enforcement also seized a loaded 9mm Smith and Wesson handgun and a loaded Jennings .22 caliber handgun from the locations.

“This investigation exemplifies the symbiotic relationship between illegal drugs and gun violence,” said DEA Special Agent in Charge Ray Donovan in the release. “These arrests emphasize DEA’s commitment to reducing violent crime and reclaiming our communities from menacing drug trafficking networks and gangs.”

Among five individuals from Coram, one person from Central Islip and one person of Middle Island, North Shore and Middle Country residents arrested include:

Angelo Mosquea. a/k/a “Pun,” 30, of Port Jefferson Station, is charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a B felony, and conspiracy in the second degree, a B felony. 

Daniel McIntyre, 36, of Centereach, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled Substance in the third degree, a B felony, and conspiracy in the second degree, a B felony.

Marcus Numa, 36, of Centereach, is charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, an A felony; criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a B felony; and conspiracy in the second degree, a B felony.

David Torres, 28, of Port Jefferson, is charged with conspiracy in the second degree, a B felony.

Wayne Swedberg, 29, of Rocky Point, is charged with conspiracy in the second degree, a B felony.

Bryan Kalikow, 33, of Kings Park, is charged with conspiracy in the second degree, a B felony.

Michael Hionas, 32, of Port Jefferson Station, is charged with conspiracy in the second degree, a B felony.

An arrest warrant has been issued for one additional defendant in the indictment.

Among others, McIntyre have been identified by law enforcement as alleged members of the Bloods gang. The DA said two other individuals were alleged member of the Latin Kings.

Angelo Mosquea and McIntyre were arraigned on the indictment today by Suffolk County Court Judge Philip Goglas. Others were arraigned on the indictment Oct. 16 by Suffolk County Acting Supreme Court Justice Mark Cohen. The remaining defendants were arraigned on the indictment Oct. 27 by Judge Goglas.

If convicted of the top count, Angelo Mosquea, Hionas and McIntyre each face a maximum sentence of 12 and one-half to 25 years in prison. If convicted of the top count, Numa, Torres, Swedberg and Kalikow each face a maximum sentence of eight and one-third to 25 years in prison.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Deirdre Horney, of the Enhanced Prosecution Bureau.

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Suffolk County Police said two North Shore residents were shot and injured outside an East Patchogue bar early Saturday morning.

Police said a man was escorted from El Buen Ambiente, located at 466 East Main St. in East Patchogue, following an altercation with another patron. The man retrieved a handgun from his vehicle and began shooting, striking two bystanders outside the bar at approximately 1:30 a.m, Oct. 24.

A 39-year-old Lake Grove man, who was shot twice in his legs, was transported to Long Island Community Hospital for treatment of serious injuries. A 26-year-old Northport man, who was struck once in the leg, was transported to Stony Brook University Hospital for treatment of non-life-threatening injuries.

The shooter fled in an unknown direction.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on this incident to call the 5thSquad at 631-854-8552 or to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS (8477). All calls will be kept confidential.

The Greenway Trail runs between Port Jefferson Station and East Setauket. File photo by Rachel Shapiro

Suffolk County Police detectives are investigating an incident during which a woman was attacked by a man while walking on the Port Jefferson Station to Setauket Greenway Trail Tuesday.

Police said a 54-year-old woman was walking on Greenway Trail around a quarter mile from the eastern entrance in Port Jefferson Station, at around 11:30 a.m. Oct. 21 when a man tackled her from behind. The woman was knocked to the ground and the man put his hand over her mouth and made comments that were sexual in nature. The man fled toward the trail entrance when the woman screamed as they were approached by another walker.

The man was described as Black, in his 30s, approximately 5 feet 10 inches tall and heavyset. He was wearing a black sweatshirt with green sweatpants with a black stripe down the side. The woman was not injured.

Detectives are asking anyone with information on this incident to call the 6th precinct at 631-854-8652 or anonymously to Crime Stoppers at 1-800-220-TIPS (8477). All calls will be kept confidential.