Big bust in Port Jervis

ANYA TIKKA
Posted 8/21/12

PORT JERVIS, NY — Port Jervis Police Department made a huge drug bust on the morning of March 14, as Mayor Kelly Decker and Police Committee Chair Bob Ritchie reported that night at the Common …

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Big bust in Port Jervis

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PORT JERVIS, NY — Port Jervis Police Department made a huge drug bust on the morning of March 14, as Mayor Kelly Decker and Police Committee Chair Bob Ritchie reported that night at the Common Council meeting.

Decker said, “Early this morning, Port Jervis Police with Orange County Sheriff’s Office Special Operations searched the apartment of Darren Biccum, 34, and Carolee Ruzanski, 27, and both were arrested for possession of almost 900 decks of heroin.”

He continued, “It was possibly the biggest drug bust in the city’s history.”

Port Jervis Chief of Police William Worden said in a statement that the search and arrests were conducted with a “no knock” search warrant at an apartment located at the Sutton Garden Apartments, 103 Ryan St.

He explained that the arrests came after city police detectives’ undercover investigation into the illicit sales of heroin in the City of Port Jervis over the past six weeks.

The arrested pair was allegedly selling “large quantities of heroin, typically packaged in bricks consisting of 50 individual bags to other dealers in the City of Port Jervis.”

Worden continued, “Police investigation learned that the defendants were allegedly distributing, on average, 20 to 30 bricks of heroin per week in the City of Port Jervis, which they were obtaining from a source in the State of Pennsylvania and Paterson, NJ.”

The search found:

• 886 individual decks containing heroin.

• Approximately one-eighth ounce of powder cocaine

• Assorted prescription schedule 2, 3 and 4 pills

• $1,486.00 cash

Ruzanski faces two charges of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell in the third degree, and five counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree.

Biccum’s charges are one count of criminal possession of controlled substance in the third degree, one count of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree and five counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree.

Both defendants were arraigned in city court and remain in Orange County Jail on $50,000 bail.

Worden added a disclaimer: “A criminal charge is merely an accusation. All persons are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.”

Decker said, “The amount of drugs that was found is worth about $750,000 per year, with a $500,000 profit. This was huge. That’s why the Orange County DA and sheriff came here today for a presentation.”

He added, addressing television and web cameras directly, “We’re not going to let up until we make sure we find every single person who deals in drugs in the city and lock them up.”

Decker stated the bust will impact not only the city, but also the surrounding areas.

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