Suffolk Law Enforcement Rings Up Street Gang on Drug and Weapons Charges

Members of the “9-Trey Bloods” gang tied to the overdose death of 25-Year-Old mother Yasmin DeLeon and dozens of drug and weapons offenses across Suffolk will face justice under a wide-ranging series of indictments announced by District Attorney Raymond Tierney Monday with top county law enforcement officials.

Appearing at a Riverhead press conference featuring a evidence tables covered with guns, ammo, pill presses, and lethal drugs, Tierney, along with Suffolk Police Commissioner Rodney Harrison and Sheriff Errol Toulon, detailed charges against 21 gang members and other defendants in a 197-count indictment that includes six conspiracies to distribute and possess narcotics and firearms. The indictment covers 63 total criminal acts dating back to December 2021.

Taken off the streets were over 250 grams of fentanyl, 200 grams of cocaine, 220 grams of methamphetamine, 200 pills of assorted narcotics, 12 illegal firearms and nine large-capacity ammunition feeding devices, the law enforcement officials reported.

Evidence included photos of a windshield riddled with bullet holes by defendant Tyree Lawrence, 30, of Ronkonkoma who was charged with shooting a handgun through the windshield of his own car at least 10 times at a rival gang member’s vehicle, the district attorney said. Several civilians saw the shooting and called 911. Lawrence is charged with Attempted Assault in the First Degree and faces up to 15 years in prison this charge, in addition to charges that he conspired to distribute narcotics and multiple narcotics sales.

Also arrested was Justin Llewellyn, 34, of Wyandanch who allegedly sold DeLeon fentanyl and crack cocaine at a room at the Rodeway Inn in Ronkonkoma. Tierney described the incident: “The next morning, DeLeon was unresponsive to attempts from multiple individuals to wake her up. A few minutes later, Llewellyn entered the room and attempted to administer Narcan to DeLeon, which had no effect. When law enforcement arrived at the scene; they were unable to resuscitate the victim. Llewellyn was arrested on scene while allegedly in possession of narcotics, including fentanyl. Law enforcement executed a search warrant on his vehicle and recovered drug paraphernalia including scales and an ‘overdose kit’ containing multiple additional doses of unused Narcan. He is charged with Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, as well as Conspiracy in the Second Degree for conspiring to distribute narcotics.”

Weapons, ammo and other criminal evidence displayed by the district attorney.

“In Suffolk County, we had over 350 young people die last year from fentanyl,” Tierney noted. “That is more young people from Suffolk County than those who died during all the years of Vietnam war put together. We can’t stand by and let this continue. Fentanyl is involved in more deaths of Americans under 50 than any other cause of death, including heart disease, cancer, homicide, suicide, firearms and accidents. Preventing fentanyl deaths is the number one priority of my office.”

Top Suffolk law enforcement officials announce a major drug and weapons bust

“This collaborative effort led to an incredible number of illegal guns, deadly drugs and dangerous criminals being taken off our streets,” Sheriff Toulon said. “Fentanyl has taken a devastating toll on our county and operations like these are a step toward keeping our residents safe. Thank you to the taskforce members from the Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, District Attorney’s Office, and our other Suffolk law enforcement partners for their diligent work in this case to uncover this violent drug and gun trafficking ring that this gang was conducting in Suffolk.”

“The success of this long-term investigation is evident with the arrests of close to two dozen people and the seizure of drugs and guns,” Police Commissioner Harrison said. "We will continue to collaborate with our law enforcement partners to combat gun violence and ensure those fueling addiction by trafficking powerful narcotics are held accountable. I commend the hard work of the investigators on this case whose efforts have made our communities safer.”

Numerous law enforcement personnel were involved in the investigation including the district attorney’s Fentanyl Task Force, State Police, U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, East End Drug Task Force, and the Gang Violence Task Force, in collaboration with Suffolk Police and their Telephone Records and Surveillance Section. The East End Drug Task Force is comprised of DA Investigators, along with the East Hampton, Riverhead, Southold, and Southampton Town police departments. This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorneys Kristin Barnes and Raymond Coscia of the Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau. The investigation was assisted by Assistant District Attorney Jacob Kubetz of the Narcotics Bureau.

Law enforcement utilized various investigative methods including the execution of over 190 search warrants into residences, vehicles, cellular telephones, and other digital data sources, as well as thousands of hours of physical and electronic surveillance to gather evidence and intelligence about narcotics and firearms trafficking related to the targets of this investigation, Tierney said. These investigative methods revealed the scope and structure of this narcotics operation as well as the defendants’ access to and sale of firearms.

The investigation culminated in a three-month grand jury presentation charging 18 of the 21 defendants with six separate conspiracies related to narcotics and weapons trafficking and possession, according to prosecutors. The indictment further charges the 21 defendants with 63 separate criminal acts dating back to December 2021, including the possession of 12 illegal firearms, nine large capacity ammunition feeding devices, a gang related shooting, the fentanyl sale that resulted in DeLeon’s death, several undercover narcotics transactions, and possession with intent to sell multiple controlled substances.

Arrested on numerous drug and weapons charges and facing up to 25 years in prison were defendants from Bay Shore, Brentwood, Bronx, Central Islip, Deer Park, Huntington, Huntington Station, Islip, Medford, Riverhead, Ronkonkoma, Sayville, Shirley, and Pennsylvania.