Six Arrested in Federal Operation Tidal Wave 2.0, Including Kingston and Ellenville Men

A Kingston man and an Ellenville man are among six charged in a federal crackdown across New York's Capital Region. Charges range from drug distribution to child sex trafficking.

Six charged in federal sweep targeting Capital Region crime

Two Hudson Valley residents — one from Kingston, another from Ellenville — are among six people arrested and charged last week as part of Operation Tidal Wave 2.0, a joint federal, state and local law enforcement crackdown in New York's Capital Region, dailyfreeman.com reports. The U.S. Department of Justice announced the arrests in a press release on Wednesday.

Oscar Engracia Castillo, 33, of Kingston, was charged with possession of a forged identification document — specifically, a fraudulent green card. According to the complaint, Engracia Castillo is a Mexican national with an active ICE detainer and an outstanding warrant for felony grand larceny from Kingston City Court. At a detention hearing on Friday, September 4, U.S. Magistrate Judge Daniel J. Stewart ordered him held pending trial. The charge carries a maximum sentence of five years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000, and up to three years of supervised release.

Henry Veras, 45, of Ellenville, was charged with distribution of crack cocaine — a felony — for selling more than 28 grams of the substance. At his detention hearing on Wednesday, September 9, Judge Stewart released Veras to home detention under electronic monitoring. The charge carries a maximum sentence of 40 years in prison, a fine of up to $5 million, and a term of supervised release of at least four years and potentially up to life.

Albany and Ithaca defendants face drugs, firearms and trafficking charges

The remaining four defendants are Juaneko Parker, 49, Demonya Johnson, 47, and Tyrese Braswell, 23 — all of Albany — along with Ismanuel Dilan, 40, of Ithaca in Tompkins County.

Parker and Johnson were charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana. Authorities said they were discovered during the execution of a search warrant at an apartment in Troy, Rensselaer County, which had been converted into an unlawful marijuana business — referred to as a "knock spot." Outside the apartment, officers found a menu board listing marijuana strains and a slot in the wall through which money and products were exchanged. Inside, law enforcement seized multiple pounds of marijuana in plastic bins, scales, and nearly $6,000 in cash. The apartment was one of four Troy locations targeted as part of an effort to shut down unlawful marijuana dispensaries. Parker and Johnson made an initial court appearance on September 4; a detention hearing is scheduled for September 17. Each faces up to five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Braswell was charged with possessing a firearm with an obliterated serial number after allegedly selling two such weapons. He was ordered detained pending trial by Judge Stewart at a hearing on Tuesday, September 8. The charge carries a maximum of five years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Dilan faces a charge of sex trafficking a child — a felony — after allegedly causing a 14-year-old to engage in a commercial sex act. At his initial appearance on September 4, U.S. Magistrate Judge Carla Freedman ordered him detained pending trial. The charge carries a mandatory minimum of 15 years in prison, a maximum of life imprisonment, a fine of up to $250,000, and at least five years of supervised release.

Operation Tidal Wave 2.0 follows earlier federal sweep

Operation Tidal Wave 2.0 is the follow-up to an earlier federal initiative. Earlier this year, the U.S. Attorney's Office and the FBI announced the arrest of seven individuals under Operation Tidal Wave, which resulted in an indictment charging a $7.1 million money laundering conspiracy and the recovery of 135 firearms, according to authorities.

The FBI's Albany Regional Office is leading the investigations, with support from the Ulster County Sheriff's Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, Homeland Security Investigations, the Troy Police Department, the Ithaca City Police Department, and the Tompkins County Sheriff's Office. The cases are being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Dustin Segovia, Katherine Kopita, Nicholas Walter, and Paul DerOhannesian.

Source: Google News JM — Kingston