Three men were arrested in suburban New York for allegedly dealing the drugs pinned to a recent overdose death in the community, but despite the fatality, the suspects were released without bail just hours later.
Dylan J. Stanley, 19, of Brooklyn; Kevin T. Mack, 31, of South Ozone Park and Kashawn J. Mason, 20, of Brooklyn were arrested at approximately 12:40 a.m. on Monday in Massapequa, New York, without incident.
As narcotics vice squad detectives approached their 2019 Maserati bearing a Virginia registration, “approximately thirty-five glassine envelopes all containing a tannish powdery substance believed to be heroin were observed on the floor directly behind the passenger seat,” according to the Nassau County Police Department.
Nassau County Executive Bruce Blakeman, like other state Republicans, including gubernatorial candidate Lee Zeldin, took aim at Democratic Gov. Kathy Hochul for her support of cashless bail.
Dylan J. Stanley is charged with criminal sale and possession of a controlled substance.
(Nassau County Executive )
He argues such legislation gives criminals “more rights than victims,” and with the heroin and opioid epidemic plaguing Long Island, “immediately let drug dealers back onto our streets to peddle poison to our young people.”
Police said Mack was the driver; Mason was the front passenger, and Stanley was the rear passenger.
Their arrests came as a result of an investigation into the fatal overdose of a 41-year-old man in Massapequa on Friday, Nassau County Police Commissioner Pat Ryder told Fox News Digital. He said testing is still being conducted to see what substance was responsible for the overdose, but in general, he’s found fentanyl is usually at play.
“We won’t get that lab result back for a while. But we treat all of our heroin like we have fentanyl,” Ryder told Fox News Digital. “We’re seeing over 90% of all our heroin seized has fentanyl in it.”
Ryder also ripped cashless bail laws for allowing drug dealers to walk back onto the streets with few consequences.
“Cashless bail drives everything when it comes to crime. The pandemic caused a lot of people to become addicted to substance abuse, whether that be alcohol or drugs. I can’t blame that on cashless bail,” Ryder said. But what I blame on cashless bail is my drug users are not getting into a system to get them help. That’s why we created these courts to get them help. And the drug dealers are going right back on the streets.”
“It’s not a political message. If the Democrats were against cashless bail, I’d been standing with the Democrats,” the commissioner added. “I have to stand for what protects the people of Nassau County because that is my job. I took an oath to do it. And I have to make sure I’m protecting my cops.”
Kevin T. Mack is charged with criminal sale and possession of a controlled substance.
(Nassau County Executive )
“You can always reform to do better. You shouldn’t reform to do worse. We’re not protecting the victims. We’re no longer giving them a voice,” he said.
Stanley, Mack and Mason are each charged with one count of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree.
Stanley, who authorities say was personally in possession of 15 glassine envelopes, is charged with one additional count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree.
All three defendants were arraigned on Monday in First District Court 99 Main Street Hempstead.
All three were subsequently released without bail and were fitted for ankle monitors.
Stanley was previously arrested on November 3, 2021, for possessing a loaded firearm. He was convicted guilty of that crime on June 20 but still has not been sentenced at this time, authorities said.
Kashawn J. Mason is charged with criminal sale and possession of a controlled substance.
(Nassau County Executive )
“Only in Kathy Hochul’s New York can three drug dealers accused of providing drugs used in a fatal overdose be immediately released after being found in possession of an additional 32 envelopes full of heroin,” Blakeman said in a statement to Fox News Digital. “Kathy Hochul’s cashless bail, raise the age, and other dangerous laws are creating a pandemic of lawlessness where criminals have more rights than victims. As we continue to fight the heroin and opioid abuse epidemic here on Long Island, the last thing we need are laws that immediately let drug dealers back onto our streets to peddle poison to our young people.”
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According to Nassau County police statistics, controlled substances are among the top ten charges for defendants re-arrested after being released without bail. Nearly 33% more defendants arrested for controlled substances were rearrested this year compared to the same time in 2021. In the second quarter of this year, the number of defendants charged over controlled substances released without bail spiked by nearly 76% compared to last year.
