Seven-county investigation into drugs, gangs nets nearly 50 arrests

ROCHESTER, N.Y. – A drug ring that stretched from a prison into seven counties in the Finger Lakes.

Buyers who were told to go to specific homes based on their color to buy drugs.

Dozens of dealers and accomplices – some brothers, others father and son – moving fentanyl, cocaine, and heroin across our area.

The takedown of this operation started three years ago when a local sheriff wondered where all the drugs in his county were coming from.

And it ended with 48 arrests, $9 million worth of seized drugs, illegal guns, and a tangled web of alleged distributors and sellers, including Luis Rivera and his sons, Luis Emmanuel “Manny”, Natan, and Jacob.

“The Riveras sold heroin in pill form, claiming that it was oxycodone, and that deception put their buyers at even greater risk for death and for overdose,” New York State Attorney General Letitia James said Tuesday.

She announced the arrests in Rochester Tuesday following a meeting with city and faith leaders about addressing gun violence.

The network was uncovered after a two-year investigation led by the Attorney General’s Office that included help from dozens of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies.

“I would venture to say and be so bold as to say the quality of life in Western New York just improved tremendously,” Wayne County Sheriff Robert Milby said.

Police recovered more than 10 kilograms of fentanyl and 10 kilograms of cocaine with a street value of $9 million. Authorities also seized heroin, 19 firearms, and more than $440,000 in cash.

James said the drugs were sold in Wayne, Monroe, Cayuga, Ontario, Orleans, Seneca, and Yates counties. They trickled down to a group of homes on Avenue D.

“They all lived within a few yards of each other, making Avenue D a major drug hub” she said.

The investigation included hundreds of hours of surveillance and wiretaps. Phase one of the investigation was centered around two brothers in Wayne County. Phase two centered around several accused drug distributors on Avenue D in Rochester. The final phase centered around a family accused of trafficking fentanyl from California to Rochester.

Here is the list of people charged:

• Treshon Alexander, a/k/a “Tre,” 30, of Rochester
• Tyrone Berry, 41, of Lyons
• Alexis Broida, a/k/a/ “Lexi,” 30, of Rochester
• Derrick Brown, 39, of Lyons
• Geneva Rivera, a/k/a “Geneva Brown,” 31, of Grand Island
• James Butler, 76, of Newark
• Michael Danzey, 38, of Sodus
• Jacquinn Edwards, 36, of Rochester
• Ryan Faniel, 35, of Palmyra
• Romanis Glanton, 44, of Newark
• Jeanette Gonzalez, 48, of Rochester
• Jay Quanna Arrimintha Green, 28, of Rochester
• Karmalus Herrington, 48, of Newark
• Christopher Johnston, 27, of Penn Yann
• Alicia Lannon, 34, of Palmyra
• Daniel Littles, 35, of Lyons
• Carlos Luna, a/k/a “Flaco,” 46, of Rochester
• Christina Martin, 44, of Newark
• Nelson Martinez, 44, of Rochester
• Randolph Mattice, 55, of Canandaigua
• Brooke Miner, 25, of Newark
• Jamaal Moody, 32, of Newark
• Megan Murray, 31, of Fairport
• Jasmine Ofray, 36, of Rochester
• Andrea Parker, 51, of Palmyra
• Terrance Raggs, 45, of Sodus
• Tyquail Raggs, 24, of Sodus
• Jacob Rivera, a/k/a “J,” 32, of Rochester
• Luis Rivera, 66, of Rochester
• Luis Emmanuel Rivera, a/k/a “Manuel,” a/k/a “Manny,” 28, of Rochester
• Natan Rivera, a/k/a “Nate,” 25, of Rochester
• Daniel Rodriguez, 33, of Rochester
• Joshua Rodriguez, 28, of Rochester
• Xavier Roman, a/k/a “Javi,” 47, of Rochester
• Ulysses Sanchez, a/k/a “Chichi,” 34, of Rochester
• William Sanchez, a/k/a “Billy,” 45, of Rochester
• Matthew Simmons, 38, of Lyons
• Amber Streeter, 35, of Newark
• Aaron Sweeney, 23, of Fairport
• David Sweeney, 44, of Macedon
• Richard Taft, 36, of Lyons
• Nicholas Tandle, 39, of Geneva
• Victoria Tandle, 25, of Lyons
• Raquel Torres, a/k/a “Ma,” 45, of Rochester
• Raymond Vega, 56, of Rochester
• Scott Wheaton, 45, of Pulaski
• William Wheaton, 43, of Clifton Springs
• Brandon Williams, 30, of Savannah

Investigators say this was an orchestrated drug ring where some distributors created LLCs to launder and hide the money.

“As a result of this collective work, we’re going to be able to prevent the overdose deaths of so many of what you hear now in the news,” Milby said.

Of the 48 defendants, some are in jail, some posted bail, and some were charged with crimes that don’t qualify for bail.