SUNNYSIDE TELECOM RAIDED; 18 ARRESTED FOR NARCOTICS SALES; 45 KILOS OF COCAINE WORTH $4.5 MILLION SEIZED DURING INVESTIGATION

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown today announced that an eighteen-month investigation into narcotics dealing at a Sunnyside, Queens, telecommunications center resulted last week in the arrest of seven people in addition to eleven others previously arrested in the case.

District Attorney Brown said: "It is alleged that following our joint investigation with the New York City Police Department's Queens Narcotics District Major Case Team # 2 that Harry's Communication Center at 44-17 48th Avenue in Sunnyside was the heart of a large-scale cocaine and heroin trafficking conspiracy. The telecom, was raided last week and several of the main alleged narcotics traffickers, including Adolfo "Fingers" Gomez, 33, of 48-26 47th Street, Woodside; and Miguel "Micci" Llanos, 50, of 137-05 Franklin Avenue, #3-G, Flushing, were arrested.

According to the District Attorney, the investigation revealed that the defendant initially sold cocaine and heroin at TeleIntercom, a telecommunications center at 44-14 48th Avenue. In March of 1998, the subjects moved out of that location and, it is alleged, continued their narcotics dealing across the street at Harry's Communication Center. Llanos and Gomez were arrested for sales of cocaine made during the course of the investigation.

During the investigation, approximately four purchases of narcotics were observed by detectives after which the buyers were apprehended. Additionally, forty-five kilograms of cocaine were previously seized from other members of the organization. It is suspected that Llanos and Gomez directed the daily operations of the narcotics business, which we believe imported, and distributed approximately fifteen kilograms of cocaine per week. Heroin, in smaller amounts, was also sold from inside Harry's Communication Center.

Also arrested and charged last Tuesday night (August 28) were: Carlos "Flaco" Medina, 52, of 86-25 Elmhurst Avenue, Elmhurst; Juan Uribe, 17, of 47-56 44th Street, Sunnyside; Gerard McMorrow, 26, of 56-01 Roosevelt Avenue, Woodside; Francisco Castillo, 38, of 106-32 50th Avenue, Corona; and Jose Olaya, 32, of 63-18 Broadway, Woodside. The defendants Llanos, Gomez, and Olaya are charged with Criminal Sale and/or Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree and face a maximum sentence of 25 years to life in prison. All of the other defendants are charged with Conspiracy to Commit Criminal Sale and Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree and face up to 8 1/3 to 25 years in prison, if convicted.

Previously arrested and charged were: Jose Toro, 51, of 41-50 78th Street, Elmhurst, charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree; Ovidio Gonzalez, 28, of 3600 Rebel Run, Orlando, Florida, charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree; Eduardo Cabanilla, 56, of 47-37 45th Street, Woodside, charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree; Carl Arche, 38, of 47-52 44th Street, Woodside, charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree; Raymond Long, 34, of 3-22 Junction Boulevard, Durham, North Carolina, charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree; Suljo Kolenovic, 24, of 30-90 43rd Street, charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree. The defendants Salvatore Abate, 27, of 33-56 10th Street, Long Island City; Frank Ortiz, 43, of 15A Great Neck Road, Amityville, New York, Antonio Cruz, 32, of 25-20 42nd Street, Astoria, and Elio Silva, 40, of 24-29 92nd Street, Jackson Heights, have all pleaded guilty to Criminal Possession in the Third Degree. Jenny Flores, 39, of 24-29 92nd Street, Jackson Heights, pled guilty to Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree.

The investigation and the arrests were carried out by a team of police officers and detectives under the supervision of Lieutenant Mike Geraghty and Sergeant Alan Hoehl of the Queens Narcotics Major Case Unit, which is under the command of Captain Francis Darsillo. Detectives Harry Stafilias and Angelo Conetta made the arrests.

Assistant District Attorney Joan Yang of District Attorney Brown's Narcotics Investigations Bureau, which is under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Peter A. Crusco, is in charge of the prosecution. The Narcotics Investigations Bureau is under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Robert D. Alexander.

It is to be noted that a charge is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.