Leaders of drug delivery service in South Brooklyn arrested

Deals made up to $50,000 each week in Sheepshead Bay, Midwood, Marine Park

January 17, 2019 By Rob Abruzzese Brooklyn Daily Eagle

A pile of cash and narcotics allegedly seized during a bust of a drug delivery service that prosecutors claim operated in numerous Southern Brooklyn neighborhoods. A total of 15 pounds of heroin and cocaine plus nearly $800,000 in cash was allegedly seized in one raid. Photo courtesy of the Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor.

Share this:

A drug delivery service that operated in multiple neighborhoods in South Brooklyn was busted this week after two of its alleged leaders were charged with operating as major traffickers on Thursday.

A total of 14 people were arrested and indicted in connection with the alleged drug delivery service that made up to $8,000 in sales each day, according to prosecutors.

The 73-count indictment charged the two alleged supervisors, William Barrous and Emmanuel Batista, both of Queens, with operating as a major trafficker under the New York state drug kingpin statute.

“This is another example of alleged drug dealers profiting off of those whose lives have often been devastated by or lost to addiction without concern for the harm they cause in the communities where they sell these illegal narcotics,” said Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. “The opioid crisis has hit this section of Brooklyn hard, and so I commend the Special Narcotics Prosecutor and all of our law enforcement partners for focusing resources on ending this drug delivery service.”

According to prosecutors, a long-term investigation was conducted by NYPD’s Brooklyn South narcotics division that involved more than 50 sales to undercover officers between Feb. 10, 2017 and Nov. 30, 2018.

The service allegedly held hours of 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. and delivered drugs including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and prescription pills to the Brooklyn neighborhoods of Midwood, Sheepshead Bay, Marine Park and Mill Basin, prosecutors claim.

The majority involved were arrested on Dec. 12, 2018. The NYPD was able to recover two loaded guns and 15 pounds of heroin and cocaine at Barrous’ residence in Fresh Meadows, Queens.

Police also recovered $796,000 in case from a safe and shoeboxes in an alleged stash house located at 71-59 160th Street, Apt. 4A in Queens as well as ammunition, drug packaging equipment and a “large quantity of jewelry.”

When investigators searched Batista’s residence located at 131-01 40th Road, Apt 17D in Flushing, they seized heroin, cocaine and nearly $7,500 in cash, jewelry, designer handbags and a Land Rover.