MINEOLA, N.Y. – Nassau County District Attorney Madeline Singas announced the arrest of an Old Westbury man for allegedly possessing of more than 350 pounds of marijuana, hash oils containing THC, drug paraphernalia, weapons and packaging materials. This marijuana seizure is considered to be one of the largest in Nassau County.
Micah Raskin, 49, was arraigned yesterday before Judge William Hohauser on charges of:
- Criminal Possession of Marijuana in the First Degree (a C felony)
- Criminal Possession of Marijuana in the Second Degree (a D felony)
- Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Fifth Degree (a D felony)
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Third Degree (a D felony)
- Criminal Possession of a Weapon in the Fourth Degree (an A misdemeanor)
Bail was set at $225,000 bond or $150,000 cash and the defendant is due back in court February 9. If convicted of the top counts he faces up to eight years in prison.
“With this seizure of more than 350 pounds of marijuana and huge quantities of hash oils, this alleged dealer’s time living the high life selling drugs is over,” DA Singas said. “Our law enforcement partners at the local, state and federal level continue to dismantle drug trafficking networks at every level, and I commend this outstanding team on yet another successful bust.”
Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder said, “The arrest of defendant Micah Raskin is a clear example of a collaborative multi-jurisdictional law enforcement investigation which is taking a dangerous individual and the drugs that he was dealing off the streets. Defendant Raskin was supplying large amounts of marijuana to our residents, thus placing them at risk. This illegal behavior is unacceptable as we continue to fight to keep our residents and communities safe. I congratulate all of the investigators for a job well done.”
“Raskin is alleged to have trafficked hundreds of pounds of marijuana across state lines, creating a lucrative business over the years,” said Angel M. Melendez, special agent in charge of HSI New York. “As HSI continues to share information between offices and with its law enforcement partners, we will continue to arrest drug traffickers like Raskin.”
DA Singas said a multi-jurisdictional investigation into the trafficking of large amounts of marijuana from Old Westbury to Baltimore, Maryland began in November 2017. During the investigation, the defendant, Micah Raskin was identified as a supplier of large amounts of marijuana and hash oils to the Baltimore area.
The defendant allegedly received drug shipments to locations on Long Island and stored them in his Old Westbury home and a Garden City storage facility before a courier delivered them to customers in Baltimore, Washington D.C., Virginia and New York, charging $1,400 for a pound of marijuana. It’s believed this alleged activity went on for a period of several years.
On February 6, members of the NCPD and the Long Island Homeland Security Investigations Task Force executed search warrants on the defendant’s Old Westbury home and Garden City storage locker. As a result of the search warrants, more than 358 pounds of marijuana, hash oils containing concentrated doses of THC, drug paraphernalia and packaging materials were seized. The marijuana has an estimated street value of more than $500,000, while the hash oils are estimated to be worth $170,000-$340,000.
Additionally, authorities seized a loaded shotgun, a Taser and paperwork documenting payments and prices for the drug products. Other items seized include a 2016 Land Rover Range Rover, a 2016 Chevrolet Corvette, $140,000 in monetary funds and high-end artwork believed to be worth more than $100,000.
The defendant was arrested on February 6 at his Old Westbury home by members of the Nassau County Police Department. The investigation is ongoing.
The NCDA thanks the following agencies for their assistance in the investigation:
- Baltimore County Police Department
- The Baltimore County State’s Attorney’s Office
- The Department of Homeland Security Investigations (Baltimore and Long Island divisions)
- Suffolk County Police Department
- Suffolk County Sherriff’s Department
- The United States Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland
Assistant District Attorney Gregory Murphy of DA Singas’ Special Operations, Narcotics and Gangs Bureau is prosecuting this case. The defendant is represented by Benjamin Simpson, Esq.
The charges are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until and unless found guilty.
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