Monroe Village Police arrest 20 people in year-long drug investigation

Undercover cop purchases prescription narcotics Oxycodone and Percocet as well as heroin and marijuana, By Bob Quinn Monroe — Monroe Village Police have announced the conclusion of a year-long investigation during which an undercover officer purchased Oxycodone, Percocet and other prescription medications as well as heroin and marijuana from 20 people. Those charged range in age from 17 to 51, although by far the vast majority of those accused are in their twenties. The majority also gave police addresses in Monroe, although others were from Highland Mills, Chester, Greenwood Lake and White Plains. The first sales started in October 2010; the last sale just two weeks ago. “The sales took place in local parks, streets, homes and shopping centers,” Det. James Frankild said. “In addition to these arrests, this investigation provided us with information that allowed us to make arrests in two robberies and several commercial and residential burglaries.” All those charged with selling heroin or any of the prescription medications such as Percocet, Oxycodone, Ritalin, Valium or Soboxone face felonies; the two people involved with the marijuana charged face misdemeanor penalties. So, too, does the 20-year-old woman charged with one count of criminal sale of an imitation controlled substance. Police said she sold what she told the undercover police officer was heroin, which later field tested negative for narcotics. “Prescription medication abuse is an epidemic among young people today and that is shown by how young the majority of the people arrested were,” Frankild said. “Most of the people arrested during this investigation told us that they also were users and that they sold to offset the cost of their addiction. “The majority of the people knew each other, since they were all from the area and mostly around the same age, but it was not some sort of organized group,” the detective added. “It was each person selling to others to offset the cost of their addiction.” A list of those arrested and the charges they face appears on page 25.