Ex-NYPD Detective Arrested in NYC Drug Ring

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A former New York Police Department (NYPD) detective was arrested as part of a multi-borough drug ring that distributed narcotics across Staten Island and Manhattan. Authorities announced the arrests on Monday, revealing the operation was uncovered through a six-month wiretap investigation.

Weapons and Narcotics Found in Homes

During the investigation, police discovered at least 13 unlicensed firearms in the home of 60-year-old retired NYPD detective Philip Pietrunti. The raid also uncovered large quantities of fentanyl, crack cocaine, and heroin, alongside a pill-pressing machine, in the residence of Shanta Sawyer, the alleged ringleader.

Sawyer, 44, is accused of conspiring with Pietrunti, along with his wife, Sophia Abinacer, and Michael Giordano, to supply illegal narcotics to customers in Staten Island. The operation allegedly involved selling drugs under various slang terms, including ‘dog food,’ ‘G’s,’ ‘Hard,’ ‘Candy,’ and ‘Pebbles,’ which refer to heroin, crack cocaine, and fentanyl.

Drug Deals and Legal Consequences

Investigators intercepted calls where Sawyer and Pietrunti discussed plans to meet at a Wendy’s to sell cocaine and fake Xanax pills. In another instance, Sawyer planned to send Abinacer to meet a buyer for a narcotics deal, which was discovered during a raid. Police also observed Sawyer’s wife meeting with a customer in Huguenot, Staten Island, before returning to Manhattan.

Giordano’s home was found to contain a small lockbox of crack cocaine, 40 envelopes with heroin and cocaine, two scales, and drug packaging materials. The defendants are accused of participating in a criminal conspiracy to flood the borough with dangerous narcotics, including large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and oxycodone.

Past Legal Issues and Bail Orders

Pietrunti, a former NYPD Emergency Service Unit member, faces charges of amassing a small army’s worth of illegal firearms, which authorities say jeopardized public safety. This is not his first legal issue; in 2015, Pietrunti was accused of firing a gun at an excavator vehicle over a job dispute, marking his third arrest that year.

Pietrunti was arraigned in Manhattan Criminal Court and ordered to be held on $100,000 bail. Sawyer’s bail was set at $250,000, while Abinacer and Giordano were released without bail.

“The defendants involved in this takedown are alleged to have participated in a multi-borough criminal conspiracy that sought to flood our borough with dangerous narcotics,” said Richmond County District Attorney Michael McMahon.

Source: Breitbart