Law enforcers representing several agencies report they've taken down more than a half dozen street-level heroin dealers, but say there are more arrests to come, and at other levels.
The arrests were announced inside Buffalo Police Headquarters. Acting Erie County District Attorney Michael Flaherty stated that while Buffalo Police led the arrests, members of the Erie County Sheriff's Office and Hamburg Police contributed to the investigation, which took place over several months and involved drug purchases by undercover officers.
"We all know, because we read about it every day, the scourge that opioids and heroin have caused to our community," Flaherty said. "Anything we can do to reduce the risk that somebody will buy a deadly dosage of heroin, we will undertake."
Flaherty's office identified the suspects, and their respective charges, as:
1. 24-year-old Eddie U. Thomas, 878 Prospect Ave.: Subject sold heroin and fentanyl to an undercover detective The current indictment charges Thomas with three counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and three counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree.
2. 34-year-old Latisa Harden, 91 Burgard Place: Subject sold crack cocaine to an undercover detective. The current indictment charges Harden with three counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and three counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree.
3. 28-year-old Christopher Brown, 88 Carl St.: Subject sold crack cocaine to an undercover detective. The current indictment charges Brown with three counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and three counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree.
4. 31-year-old Reynaldo Castro-Guzman, AKA Aurelio Castro-Lopez, 283 French St.: Subject sold heroin to an undercover detective. The current indictment charges Castro-Guzman with two counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree.
5. 53-year-old Jorge Ortiz: Subject sold heroin to an undercover detective. The current indictment charges Ortiz with three counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and three counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. Ortiz has an extensive criminal record that includes one felony conviction for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree. Subject had 18 packets of heroin and 31 bags of crack cocaine on his person at the time of his arrest.
6. 32-year-old Daniel Loster, 73 Manitoba St.: Subject sold heroin to an undercover detective. The current indictment charges Loster with three counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and three counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree.
7. 22-year-old Joshua Negron, 506 Niagara St.: Subject sold heroin to an undercover detective. The current indictment charges Negron with three counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree and three counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree.
In addition to heroin, investigators say 2 1/2 ounces of crack cocaine, two handguns and $2,500 cash were also seized.
Law enforcers say more arrests will come, and not just at the street level.
"We're going after the big dealers and we're going after the street-level dealers," said Buffalo Police Commissioner Daniel Derenda. "They're dealing in heroin and fentanyl, and it seems like we're getting a death every day, overdose death, in the city.
"Recently, they're starting to spike again. It'll stop for a week or so, and then homicide will be called out on several deaths in a day."
Media were provided video footage of some of the raids, which can be seen below.
