Greenport brothers found in possession of cocaine, heroin plead not guilty at arraignment

Two Greenport brothers arrested on multiple felony drug charges were arraigned Friday in Southold Town Justice Court and entered pleas of not guilty.

Tre McKnight, 28, and Cory McKnight, 34, were arrested at their Madison Avenue home early Thursday morning when officers with the East End Drug Task Force executed a search warrant.

Officers found cocaine, heroin and other drugs, according to copies of the criminal complaints listing each charge against the brothers.

There were represented by a Legal Aid Society attorney during the arraignment before Town Justice Daniel Ross. They were both released without bail on their own recognizance.

When he stood before the judge, Cory McKnight said he worked for the Greenport Village Highway Department and had always lived in Greenport. He said he had no prior arrests and told the judge he would hire his own attorney. A Village Board resolution from earlier this year shows he was hired effective May 4, 2022 under a “standard twenty-six week Suffolk County Civil Service probationary period.”

Tre McKnight said he was unemployed.  Like his brother, he said he was a lifelong resident and had no prior arrests. 

Police recovered a semi-automatic pistol during the search and charged Tre McKnight with criminal possession of a firearm. He also faces third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance for possession of cocaine with the intent to sell, according to the complaint, which adds that the cocaine was found in a “manner consistent with the street level narcotic packaging and it was near one digital scale that is also consistent with narcotic scales.” Those are all felonies.

He also faces a charge of fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance for heroin found at the house. Police have also charged him for possession of Psilocybin mushrooms and Oxycodone.

Cory McKnight faces felony charges of fourth-degree and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance related to the cocaine found at the home.

Justice Ross said Tre McKnight would be subject to supervision by county authorities, citing the presence of a gun.

Both men are due back in court Sept. 28.

The East End Drug Task Force is a multi-jurisdictional drug enforcement unit that includes officers from departments across the East End and receives funding through the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office.