Press Release

NETWORK OF DRUG DEALERS SUPPLYING COCAINE, CRACK AND HEROIN IN QUEENS, THE BRONX AND NASSAU COUNTY DISMANTLED FOLLOWING LONG-TERM INVESTIGATION

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, joined by New York City Police Commissioner Dermot Shea, announced today that 11 people have been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and four of the accused have also been additionally charged in criminal complaints. The defendants allegedly operated as a network of dealers who supplied a variety of drugs to buyers in New York City and beyond between December 2020 and December 2021.

District Attorney Katz said, “This investigation began by focusing on two suspected drug dealers here in Queens and expanded to include several others who allegedly together and independently sold heroin, powder cocaine and crack cocaine in our neighborhoods. One of the defendants set up a stash house and distribution hub in a two-story residential building just steps from a neighborhood playground. We will not stand for those who sell poison in our communities.”

Police Commissioner Shea said, “These charges demonstrate that the investigative efforts of New York City law enforcement are precisely-focused and patient. As long as individuals are involved in illegal narcotics sales in our communities, the NYPD and our partners will relentlessly work to stop the threat to public safety.  I want to thank our investigators at the Queens Violent Crime Squad and our partners at the Queens County District Attorney’s Office for ensuring these dangerous individuals will be held to account for their actions.”

Utilizing surveillance, undercover buys and Court-authorized eavesdropping warrants, the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprise Bureau along with the NYPD’s Queens Violent Crime Squad conducted a lengthy investigation leading to the arrests of the 11 defendants, as well as the seizure of cocaine, crack cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine, fentanyl, six handguns, an assault rifle, a sawed-off shotgun, ammunition and other items.

District Attorney Katz said this investigation began by looking into the activities of defendants Jason Hibbert and Troy Greene. Undercover detectives posing as “buyers” met with Hibbert on seven different occasions and allegedly bought drugs. Greene allegedly sold drugs to a “buyer” on eight separate meets.

Hibbert, 35, of Dillon Street; Greene, 38, of 173rd Street; Kwansia Frasier, 44, of Jamaica Avenue, all of Jamaica, Queens; and Kevin Joseph, 50, of South Long Beach Avenue in Freeport, Long Island, were all arraigned on Wednesday on a 68-count indictment before Queens Supreme Court Justice Daniel Lewis. These four defendants were ordered to return to Court on January 25, 2022. (See Addendum for details on each defendant).

According to the charges, Hibbert and Greene allegedly set up a stash house on Liberty Avenue where customers visited frequently to buy drugs. The clientele developed code words to make buys, such as using the phrase “pieces of cake” to indicate the specific drug desired. Another defendant, Luis Parreno, allegedly made drug deliveries to buyers throughout Queens and the Bronx, as well as in Nassau County.

DA Katz said that the Court-authorized eavesdropping warrant picked up various conversations regarding buying and selling drugs over the course of the investigation. On one of these calls, defendant David Mustiga allegedly talked with co-defendant Jose Torres about buying two kilograms of cocaine from Puerto Rico for $25,000 per kilo.

In July, police executed a Court-authorized search warrant for the home of defendant Torres on Waldo Avenue in the Bronx. Law enforcement recovered the following items allegedly from Torres’ residence: a loaded .45 caliber pistol, a loaded defaced .380 caliber pistol, ammunition, over $13,000 in cash, three kilograms of controlled substances and other items.

In August, police executed a Court-authorized search warrant for the home of co-defendant Luis Parreno on 97th Avenue in Queens. Law enforcement recovered the following items allegedly from Parreno’s residence:    over $20,000 in cash, over five kilograms of controlled substances and other items. Court-authorized search warrants were also executed on two vehicles registered to Parreno and controlled substances were allegedly also found inside a hidden compartment in each vehicle.

Concurrent Court-authorized search warrants were also executed on the home of another co-defendant David Mustiga on Jamaica Avenue in Queens County. Law enforcement recovered a quantity of controlled substances and other items allegedly from inside the location.

Law enforcement also recovered two high-capacity magazines and a loaded assault rifle from defendant Edwin Hernandez, in front of Parreno and Mustiga’s stash house, located at 142-06 Pershing Crescent, in Queens County.

Also in August, police executed a Court-authorized search warrant for the home of defendant Jesus Perez on Bouck Avenue in the Bronx. Law enforcement recovered the following items allegedly from Perez’s residence: over three kilograms of controlled substances and other items.

Police executed Court-authorized search warrants during late night raids on Tuesday at the homes of defendants Greene, Joseph and Frasier. Law enforcement recovered a .40 caliber Smith firearm, cocaine and other items allegedly from Greene’s Jamaica, Queens residence. In Joseph’s Freeport, LI home law enforcement allegedly seized over nine kilos of controlled substances, a loaded 12-gauge Mossberg shotgun with 105 shotgun shells, a loaded “Taurus” 38 caliber revolver, a loaded “Rough Neck” Deringer 9mm weapon, a loaded “PK” 380 caliber weapon and other drugs and ammunition. The raid on Frasier’s Jamaica residence allegedly resulted in cocaine, a scale and more than $1,000 cash.

Mustiga, Parreno, Torres, and Perez have each been charged with operating as major traffickers in this investigation.

The joint investigation was conducted by Detective Daniel Ludemann, and members of the Queens Violent Crime Squad, under the supervision of Lieutenant Eric Sonnenberg.

Assistant District Attorney Lisa Cubair, of the DA’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Jonathan Sennett, Bureau Chief, Michelle Goldstein, Senior Deputy Bureau Chief, and Philip Anderson, Deputy Bureau Chief, and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney of Investigations Gerard Brave.

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ADDENDUM**

JOSE “PEPE” TORRES, 46, of Waldo Avenue, Bronx, is charged in a 68-count indictment with conspiracy in the second, conspiracy in the third degree, operating as a major trafficker, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the second and third degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second and third degree, among other drug and weapons charges. The defendant was arraigned in Supreme Court on Thursday. Torres faces up to 24 years in prison.

DAVID “JOE” MUSTIGA, 41, of Jamaica Avenue, in Jamaica, Queens, is charged in a 68-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and third degree, operating as a major trafficker, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first, second and third degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second and third degree, among other drug and weapons charges. The defendant was arraigned in Supreme Court on Thursday. If convicted, Mustiga faces up to 24 years in prison.

LUIS “CHUNKY” PARRENO, 39, of 97 Avenue, in Jamaica, Queens, is charged in a 68-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and third degree, operating as a major trafficker, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first, second and third degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second and third degree, among other drug and weapons charges. The defendant was arraigned in Supreme Court on Thursday. If convicted, Parreno faces up to 20 years in prison.

JESUS PEREZ, 23, of Bouck Avenue, Bronx, is charged in a 68-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and third degree, operating as a major trafficker, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first, second and third degree, among other drug and weapons charges. If convicted, Perez faces up to 24 years in prison.

KEVIN JOSEPH, 50, of South Long Beach Avenue, Freeport, Long Island, is charged in a 68-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and  third degree, and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. Joseph is also charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, among other charges, on a criminal court complaint. If convicted, Joseph faces up to 24 years in prison.

KWANSIA FRAISER, 44, of Jamaica Avenue, in Jamaica, Queens, is charged in a 68-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and third degree, criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. Frasier is also charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, among other charges, on a criminal court complaint. If convicted, Frasier faces up to 15 years in prison.

EDWIN HERNANDEZ, 37, of 213th Street, Queens, is charged in a 68-count indictment with criminal possession of a weapon in the second and third degree, among other weapons charges. The defendant was arraigned in Supreme Court on Thursday. If convicted, Hernandez faces up to 15 years in prison.

JASON “JAY” HIBBERT, 35, of Dillon Street, in Jamaica, Queens, is charged in a 68-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and third degree, criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. Hibbert is also charged with grand larceny in the third degree and grand larceny in the fourth degree on a criminal court complaint If convicted, Hibbert faces up to nine years in prison.

TROY “LOU” GREENE 38, of 173rd Street, in Jamaica, Queens, is charged in a 68-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and third degree, criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. Greene is also charged with criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree, among other charges, on a criminal court complaint. If convicted, Greene faces up to nine years in prison.

**Two defendants being sought.

**Criminal complaints and indictments are accusations. A defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.