'Dirty Laundry' Drug Ring Spanning 3 States Busted In BK: AG

BROOKLYN, NY — A drug ring that sold cocaine and tens of thousands of oxycodone pills across three states was busted this week in Brooklyn, New York's attorney general announced on Wednesday.

The massive takedown, dubbed "Operation Dirty Laundry," charged 16 people for trafficking $500,000-worth of the prescription pills and more than 500 grams of cocaine across Brooklyn, Staten Island, Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, according to officials.

It wraps up a 20-month investigation into the ring, who's leaders were largely from New York City, including a Department of Sanitation employee, officials said.

“Dangerous drugs have long ravaged our communities and devastated the lives of many individuals throughout our state and nation,” Attorney General Letitia James said. “...Today’s takedown is yet another major action to keep our streets clean from these drugs and hold accountable those who put New Yorkers in harm’s way just to line their pockets."

Investigators, through hundreds of hours of surveillance and wiretapped phone conversations, discovered the drug ring members talked in code, calling oxycodone pills "shirts" and cocaine as "the girl" or "the Pablo," to disguise their crimes, according to the indictment.

Authorities seized 2,600 of the pills, 300 grams of cocaine, digital scales, a money counter and more than $12,000 in cash throughout the investigation, they said.

Among those charged Wednesday were three leaders — Neil "Beanz" Garone, Alex "Houdin" Calatozzo and Ben Butler — who are facing a mandatory life sentence through "Operating as a Major Trafficker" charges, James said.

Garone, the sanitation worker, is involved in all four conspiracies uncovered by the investigators, according to officials.

In one, he and Calatozzo ran an oxycodone distribution network in and around their home boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn, selling large quantities of the pills to Butler, who would resell the drugs in Massachusetts, according to officials.

Two of the men's suppliers, who brought in pills from Pennsylvania, are also on the indictment.

In another scheme, Garone and Calatozzo sold cocaine to Millan Ceneus, who traveled from Massachusetts to purchase the drugs at Calatozzo's home in Brooklyn, according to the indictment.

Here's a list of those charged:

NEIL GARONE a/k/a “Beanz,” 34 years old, Staten Island, New York
ALEX CALATOZZO a/k/a “Houdin,” 38 years old, Brooklyn, New York
BEN BUTLER, 32 years old, Randolph, Massachusetts
JOSEPH MIGNANO a/k/a “Migs,” 61 years old, Brooklyn, New York
VINCENT POSA, 51 years old, Brooklyn, New York
JOSEPH ROMANO, 28 years old, Staten Island, New York
ANTHONY ROMANO, 32 years old, Staten Island, New York
FREDERICK ZITTEL, 53 years old, Brooklyn, New York
BIROL KAGITCIOGLU, 72 years old, Brooklyn, New York
JOHN MCAVOY a/k/a “Henry,” 39 years old, Brooklyn, New York
ROSARIO CARUSO a/k/a “The Italian Kid,” 38 years old, Staten Island, New York
MIA CHAMBERS a/k/a “Mimi,” 37 years old, Brooklyn, New York
ANDREW MASON a/k/a “Roberto,” 24 years old, Brooklyn, New York
PAUL EKERLING, 39 years old, Toms River, New Jersey
MILLAN CENEUS a/k/a “Millz,” 36 years old, Brockton, Massachusetts
THOMAS SCHILLIZZI, 45 years old, Staten Island, New York