News

East End Drug Task Force makes three more arrests

An ongoing joint investigation into local drug trafficking by Southold Police and the East End Drug Task Force led to three more arrests in late June, police said.

Anthony Ellis, 24, of Sigsbee Road in Mattituck was arrested near his home on June 21 and charged with multiple drug possession charges, including two felony counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Police said Mr. Ellis, who police said had a quantity of the prescription drug Xanax at the time of his arrest, was selling drugs in the Riverhead area.

Police arrested Frederick Douglas Grace, 22, of Linnett Street in Greenport on June 28 on a felony charge of criminal possession of a controlled substance, third degree. Mr. Grace was found with a “substantial sum of money” when he was arrested on Third Street in Greenport, said police. He is accused of dealing in crack cocaine.

On June 29 the drug task force charged Sonny Brown Jr. of Patchogue and formerly of Greenport with distributing heroin across the East End.

Mr. Brown was in the custody of the Suffolk County Sheriff on an unrelated charge at the time of his arrest, said police. He faces two felony counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance, third degree and remains in custody.

Funded by the district attorney’s office, the drug task force includes officers from the state and county police, the Sheriff’s department and several East End town and village police forces.

Last month the task force arrested several suspected Greenport narcotics dealers and a Shirley resident who police said sold heroin. One of the suspects was said possess 650 packets of heroin targeted for sale in Greenport.