Putnam County Sheriff Donald B. Smith reports the arrests last week of four persons, capping a three-month-long investigation into heroin trafficking in the Mahopac section of the Town of Carmel.
Back in September, the Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Enforcement Unit (NEU)-working collaboratively with the Westchester County Police Narcotics Unit and other area police agencies in an intelligence sharing program called the Northern Counties Narcotics Initiative Program-developed information that an individual was selling large quantities of heroin out of a private residence in Mahopac. The suspected drug dealer was identified as Mr. Thomas Simmons, aged 35, of 11 Steiner Drive in Mahopac.
Subsequently, an undercover sheriff’s deputy in the NEU, posing as a drug buying customer, was allegedly sold heroin by Mr. Simmons on several occasions. The undercover deputy’s most recent purchase from the dealer occurred at about 4:30 PM on Tuesday, December 1•1, when Mr. Simmons allegedly sold $300.00 worth of heroin to him at a pre arranged location along Route 22 in the Town of Patterson. Immediately upon conclusion of that alleged transaction, members of the NEU arrested the suspect. He was charged with four counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree and four counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, all felonies. Mr. Simmons reportedly has an extensive record of prior arrests and is currently on parole from a New York State Correctional Facility.
Two other persons who were with Mr. Simmons at the time and place of his arrest were also charged. Ms. Alyssa Feldman, aged 23, of Venderburgh Road in Poughquag, Dutchess County, and Mr. Joshua Fields, aged 27, of Riverchase Drive in New Port Richie, Florida, were charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree and criminal possession of a hypodermic instrument, misdemeanors. Both defendants reportedly have extensive prior criminal records.
After arresting Mr. Simmons and his two companions, members of the NEU-backed up by a detachment of officers from the Putnam County Emergency Response Team (ERT) and other members of the Sheriff’s Department-executed a search warrant at Mr. Simmons’ Steiner Drive home at about 7:00 PM on December 151
Inside the house, authorities reportedly found narcotics, small weight scales and drug packaging materials, as well as seven firearms including a fully-loaded .380 caliber semi-auto pistol, a fully-loaded 12-gauge semi-auto shotgun and an AK-47 assault rifle loaded with a 30-round magazine.
Mr. Louis Carr, aged 50, who reportedly also resides at the Steiner Drive residence, was inside the house when authorities raided it. He was arrested and charged with criminal possession of a firearm in the fourth degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second and third degrees, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the seventh degree, criminal use of drug paraphernalia and endangering the welfare of a child. Mr. Carr reportedly has a prior felony conviction.
Messrs. Simmons, Carr and Fields were arraigned before Carmel Town Justice Joseph Spofford. Mr. Simmons was ordered to be held without bail and remanded to the Putnam County Correctional Facility without bail, where he remains as of the time of this News Release. Mr. Carr was remanded to the Correctional Facility with bail set at $50,000.00 cash or $100,000.00 bond; he was released from custody on December 3rd after a bail bond was posted to secure his release. Mr. Fields’ bail was set at $5,000.00 cash bail or $10,000.00 bail bond on the charges he faces in Patterson; he remains held in the jail in lieu of bail as of the time of this News Release.
The Sheriff’s Office issued an appearance ticket to Ms. Feldman on her Patterson charges and turned her over to the Dutchess County Department of Probation, which had an arrest warrant for her on unrelated charge.
