Crimes Nearby: 'Operation Heroin Highway;' Burglary Arrests

The following information was supplied by the Nassau and Suffolk County Police Departments. Where an arrest is mentioned, it does not indicate a conviction.

Smithtown

Queens District Attorney Richard Brown said 96 heroin users, including 41 from Smithtown, were arrested in an investigation called “operation heroin highway”, according to a report on Newsday.

Twenty of the users involved were from Kings Park, 14 from Smithtown and seven were from Nesconset.

According to the report, drug purchases were made in city restaurants or in areas off highways such as the Long Island Expressway. The buyers in the drug deal were typically 20 to 25 years old.

Insp. Michael Bryan of the NYPD is quoted in the article and characterized the users as people coming from "good families seemingly having it all."

Commack

Suffolk County police have confirmed that six Commack homes have been burglarized since New Year's Eve. 

The slew of home invasions has many area residents speaking out about what they are calling a rash of recent burglaries in the area. Three of the reported burglaries occurred on Jan. 6, and two more on Jan. 10, according to police.

Michael Duffus, 47, of Commack was arrested Jan. 10 in Smithtown and charged with three counts of second degree burglary. He is accused of burglarizing homes in Commack and Smithtown.

Kathy Tuifel, 53, who has no known address, was arrested Jan. 10 in Smithtown and charged with second degree burglary. She is accused of breaking into a home in Commack.

Salvatore Marotta, Jr., 45, of Amityville was arrested Jan. 10 in Smithtown and charged with second degree burglary. He is accused of breaking into a home in Commack.

Kings Park

Steven Sugarman, 41, of Quincy was arrested Jan. 9 in Smithtown and charged with second degree grand larceny. He is accused of stealing roll-off containers from E-Pak Manufacturing in Fort Salonga.

Paul Findley, 23, of Bayshore and a 17-year-old male were arrested Jan. 7 in Kings Park and charged with possession of burglar's tools and tresspassing. The incident took place at Nissequogue River State Park.

Huntington

have arrested a Centerport man on charges of criminal mischief as a hate crime after police said he intentionally damaged a Huntington mosque parking lot last month.

Hate Crimes Unit detectives, with the assistance of Second Precinct Crime Section officers, were conducting surveillance at Masjid Noor Mosque,  at 1032 Park Ave., as part of a continuing investigation into incidents of vandalism at the location. Police said that while detectives and officers were at the location Tuesday night, Stephen Pratt threw a glass bottle into the mosque driveway from his vehicle.    

 Pratt, 55, of 700 Washington Dr., was charged with fourth-degree criminal mischief as a hate crime for throwing a container of white concrete sealer into the driveway of the mosque on Dec. 31.

He was also charged with second-degree harassment in Tuesday night’s incident. He is due back in court Jan.25.

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arrested James Sullivan IV on Tuesday and accused him of on Oct. 18.

Major Case Investigations Unit detectives charged Sullivan, 21, of Dix Hills, with one count of third-degree robbery.