Cops: Heroin Was Sold at Beverage Business Next to Wantagh Schools

Suffolk County Police, working with the Nassau County Police Department, arrested four men yesterday on various drug charges after it was discovered heroin was being sold out of a beverage distributor located adjacent to two Wantagh schools.

Following a month-long investigation, detectives from Suffolk County Police Department’s Narcotics Section, along with Nassau County Police Department’s Narcotics Section, were able to determine that heroin was being sold out of , located at 3341 Beltagh Ave. The investigation utilized undercover narcotics purchases of heroin that was being sold out of the store, which is located just north of and .

The investigation concluded with a search warrant being executed on the store this past Tuesday at 3:15 p.m. All four of the men arrested worked in the store including Michael Pfister, 22, of Wantagh, Michael Schwartzman, 44, of Deer Park, Jason Cruz, 21, of the Bronx, and Jeffrey Marmolejos, 22, of the Bronx.

Schwartzman, who is owner of Wantagh Beverage, was arrested on an active Suffolk County warrant.

Cruz was charged with five counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and five counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in or near school grounds. Marmolejos was charged with one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance. Pfister was charged with one count of unlawful possession of marijuana.

The New York State Liquor Authority was also present during the execution of the search warrant, and will be conducting their own investigation, according to Suffolk County police officials.

Cruz will be held overnight and is scheduled to be arraigned at First District Court in Central Islip later on Thursday. Schwartzman and Marmolejos were arraigned Wednesday morning.