Networking for a drug bust

Cooperative 18-month investigation takes out drugs from Queens

By FRITZ MAYER

MONTICELLO, NY — Law enforcement officials knew that 25-year-old David Bloom had been dealing cocaine in Sullivan County for years. They tried several times to close down his operation. But according to Sullivan County District Attorney Steve Lungen, they were unable to infiltrate his network.

But in January 2007, local officials teamed up with state officials and ultimately Federal officials as well, in an effort to arrest Bloom, his suppliers and the people who sold the drugs for him in Sullivan County.

The ensuing 18-month investigation, which stretched from Monticello to Middletown and into Queens, resulted in the arrests of 23 people on May 8, and the seizure of more than $400,000 worth of cash, cocaine and vehicles. At least 10 more arrest warrants are being pursued.

At a news conference on May 9, Lungen said, “The purpose was not to arrest street dealers and users. The goal was to get the suppliers and distributors of the cocaine, which we knew would take us out of Sullivan County and into New York City.”

Lungen made it clear that the people arrested were actively making a profit from drug sales to county residents.

Lungen said Bloom was being supplied cocaine by two people: Jerry Hernandez, 31, of Queens, and David Velasquez, 32, of Middletown. He said the operation was selling about $1.5 million per year, or a kilo-2.2 pounds-or more per week in the county.

Monticello police chief Doug Soloman said, “In my 20 years with the Monticello Police Department, this is the biggest narcotics investigation that I’ve seen take place.” He said the arrests were “going to go a long way to reducing crime in the village.”

Lungen also said that the cocaine was directly connected to gang activity. “Bloom’s network transcended all racial and ethnic lines and, from prior investigations, we know that the cocaine he brought into the county has been indirectly connected to gang incidents and shooting incidents that we’ve been dealing with for the past several years.”

The police departments involved in the investigation were the New York State Police (NYSP) in Liberty, the NYSP Community Narcotics Enforcement Team, the NYSP Mid-Hudson Drug Enforcement Task Force, the Monticello Police Department, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, the Orange County District Attorney’s Office, the Sullivan County District Attorney’s Office and, according to Lungen, “all other police agencies throughout Sullivan County.”