#Five men busted in connection to drug ring — including NJ correction officer

Long Island authorities Monday announced the takedown of a multimillion-dollar bicoastal drug trafficking ring and the arrest of five men — including a New Jersey correction officer.

“The magnitude of this drug distribution ring is enormous,” Suffolk County District Attorney Timothy Sini said in a statement. “Not only did this organization continue their illicit operation during the coronavirus pandemic, they also exploited the limited availability of certain narcotics during the health crisis to generate even greater profits off their sales.”

Anthony Cyntje, 22, of Passaic, was arraigned Sunday on one count each of criminal possession of a controlled substance and conspiracy and was released without bail. He works as a correction officer in Trenton, according to officials.

Investigators executed search warrants at six locations on June 27 and seized 18 kilos of cocaine and heroin, $1.5 million in cash, approximately 4,000 oxycodone pills, nine firearms and drug paraphernalia, according to the Suffolk County DA.

The cocaine has a street value of $1.6 million and the heroin $520,000, officials said. Numerous luxury vehicles were also seized.

Members of the ring obtained $2.1 million worth of narcotics a week from the West Coast and transported them to Suffolk County via airplane, car and mail carrier service, authorities said.

Brian Sullivan, 24, of Lake Grove, James Sosa, 25, of Wading River and Dawshawn Jones, 33, of Passaic, were arraigned Sunday on charges of operating as major drug traffickers, criminal possession of a controlled substance and conspiracy.

Sullivan was held on $7.5 million cash bail, Sosa on $5 million cash bail and Jones on $2.5 million cash bail.

Anthony Leonardi, 46, of Coram, was arraigned on one count of conspiracy and granted supervised release.

The arrests were a result of a long term investigation conducted by the DA’s office, Suffolk police and the Drug Enforcement Administration.