(Updated: 2 p.m.) An investigation by the East End Drug Task Force and the Riverhead Police Department led to the arrests of five people yesterday afternoon on Third Street in downtown Riverhead, police said in a press release issued early this morning.
Numerous neighborhood complaints about illegal drugs in the Third Street area led to the investigation, police said. It resulted in the recovery of narcotics in addition to the arrests late yesterday afternoon.
All five people were transported to Riverhead Police Headquarters and charged with various drug-related charges, police said. Three were held for morning arraignment at Riverhead Justice Court.
Charged yesterday were:
Jeffrey Pittman, 44, of 74 Pinewood Drive, Shirley was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a class B felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fourth degree, a class C felony, loitering in the first degree, a class B misdemeanor and unlawful possession of marijuana, a violation.
Rasheed Manuel, 22, of 62 Terapin Street, Mastic was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, a class B felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the fifth degree, a class D felony, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, a class A misdemeanor and loitering in the first degree, a class B misdemeanor.
Maurice Pittman, 36, of 86 North Fleet Lane, Coram, was charged with loitering in the first degree (loitering with intent to use or possess a controlled substance), a class B misdemeanor. He was also arrested on a NYS parole warrant. He was released on parole April 15 after serving three months upstate for violating conditions of parole on a 2011 conviction for attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree. His parole supervision on that conviction continues through July 2017.
Brandon Williams, 27, of 60 Sunrise Avenue, Bridgehampton, was charged with loitering in the first degree and unlawful possession of marijuana.
Tesheara Fields, 22, of 241 Oak Avenue, Flanders, was charged with loitering in the first degree.
At his arraignment this morning in Riverhead Justice Court, Jeffrey Pittman pleaded not guilty and was remanded to the Suffolk County Correctional Facility in lieu of bail, due to prior felony convictions.
In separate proceedings before Judge Richard Ehlers, bail was set at $100,000 for Manuel, who was ordered to return to court for arraignment tomorrow, and at $1,000 for Maurice Pittman, who was held for subsequent arraignment on the parole warrant arrest.
The East End Drug Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional drug enforcement unit funded by the office of Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota. The task force includes detectives, police officers and law enforcement personnel from the New York State Police, Suffolk County Police Department, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, Suffolk County Department of Probation, Southampton Town Police Department, Riverhead Police Department, East Hampton Town Police Department, , Southampton Village Police Department, Southold Town Police Department, DEA, Homeland Security and Suffolk County District Attorney Investigators.
Editor’s note: A criminal charge is an accusation. By law, a person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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