MINEOLA, N.Y. - Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced that a Hempstead man has been sentenced to 15 years to life in prison for his role in operating a drug ring that supplied narcotics from Long Island to Albany.
Michael Price, 37, was convicted by a jury on December 4, 2017 of:
- Two counts of Conspiracy in the Second Degree (a B felony)
- Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (a B felony)
- Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree (a B felony)
The trial before Acting Supreme Court Justice Teresa Corrigan lasted for approximately four weeks and the jury deliberated for one week. Judge Corrigan determined the defendant to be a persistent felony offender which enhanced his sentence.
“Michael Price poisoned our streets, endangered lives and caused countless people to become addicted to dangerous drugs like heroin for nothing more than greed,” DA Singas said. “This prosecution is an example of my continuing efforts to attack the addiction epidemic by holding dealers accountable while providing treatment for their victims. ‘Operation Gram Slam’ represented a model partnership of more than a dozen law enforcement agencies whose excellent work disrupted the supply of illegal narcotics throughout Long Island and New York State.”
“After funneling cocaine and heroin throughout Long Island, Price inevitably funneled himself to prison. With the health and safety of the community at stake, Price illegally profited over $80,000. Along with our local law enforcement partners, the FBI’s Long Island Gang Task Force worked diligently to remove Price and other drug dealers from Long Island, and we will continue to impact our communities in this manner,” said William F. Sweeney, Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
DA Singas said that beginning in January 2016, the NCDA began an investigation into Price and others in a major heroin and cocaine ring that operated in Nassau, Suffolk and Albany counties. The defendant conspired with others to sell large quantities of heroin to co-defendant Hassan Lloyd, who then resold the drugs to other dealers.
Price’s co-defendant, David Ramis, was sentenced earlier this month to 25-years to life in prison after being convicted at trial of Operating as a Major Trafficker (an A-I felony) and other drug-related charges.
In July 2016, the NCDA indicted 31 people for their roles in a Long Island-based narcotics ring, dubbed ‘Operation Gram Slam.’ Operation Gram Slam was the result of a nine-month long investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation Long Island Gang Task Force into local heroin distributors and included assistance from the Rockville Centre Police Department, Nassau County Police Department, Suffolk County Police Department, New York State Police, Hempstead Police Department, Garden City Police Department, Glen Cove Police Department, Nassau County Sheriff’s Department, Suffolk County Sheriff’s Office, and the Suffolk County Department of Probation.
Price was indicted for two counts of Operating as a Major Trafficker (an A-I felony), Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree (an A-I felony), Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree (an A-II felony) and two counts of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia in the Second degree (an A misdemeanor). The jury did not return a unanimous verdict on those charges after trial and those charges were dismissed by the NCDA yesterday.
Assistant District Attorney Lee Genser of DA Singas’ Special Operations, Narcotics and Gangs Bureau is prosecuting this case. The defendant is represented by Joseph LoPiccolo, Esq.
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