Task force reports record drug bust

 Orleans County's location as a quiet, mostly rural haven sandwiched between two metropolitan areas has long been one of its prime selling points.

It's also proving popular among suspected drug dealers.

Saturday, police announced the largest heroin seizure recorded in the county when they stopped a Rochester man just east of that city and apparently headed for Orleans County as he returned from New York City with heroin valued at $200,000. He was also in possession of $3,000 in cash. He was charged with four counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance.

Arcides "Cuba" Dieguez-Castillos, 46, of Frost Avenue, Rochester, who is on parole and is facing felony drug charges in Monroe County, was being held without bail in Orleans County Jail.

Also charged and held without bail in the seizure was Antane Seward-Lopez, 21, of Kappel Place, Rochester, who was charged with one count of first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.

The arrests came in a week during which Orleans County authorities made more than a dozen arrests related to prescription painkillers and heroin.

"Prescription drugs, heroin, they are the same thing. They are opiates," said Orleans County District Attorney Joseph V. Cardone. "The pills are often more accessible when people are starting a drug problem, but then there is such a dependency they turn to heroin because it is cheaper than the pills."

Niagara County Undersheriff Michael Filicetti said his Drug Task Force is seeing the same thing.

"It's obvious that if there is a demand there are going to be people willing to supply it," Filicetti said.

Supervising Investigator Joseph Sacco of the Orleans County Task Force said authorities there have been working for a year with the Greater Rochester Area Narcotics Enforcement Team, the Rochester Police Department and Monroe County Sheriff's Office.

Search warrants were served by the team Friday and Saturday in Rochester. Investigators seized heroin and cocaine with a street value of $10,000; three loaded handguns, which were stolen; a loaded AK-47; more than $2,000 in cash; and other drug paraphernalia.

Michel D. Fornaris, 21, of Rochester, was charged with three counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance and remanded to Orleans County Jail on $100,000 bail. He also faces numerous drug and weapon charges in the City of Rochester, Sacco reported.

Also, following a three-month multiagency investigation into the sale and distribution of crack cocaine, SWAT teams executed search warrants in two apartments on East Bank Street in Albion on Wednesday and arrested eight other people on various drug charges.

Facing charges are:

Christopher Mitchell, 26, of Crimson Heights, Albion. Tony A. Thompson, 45, of East Bank Street, Albion. Anthony Barber, 56, of Day Street, Albion. Alexandra Ivy, 34, of East Bank Street, Albion. Charles G. Ingram, 56, of Brown Street, Albion. Benith White, 42, of West State Street, Albion. James R. Crews, 55, of East Bank Street, Albion. Mac Howard, 67, of East Bank Street, Albion.

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Task force reports record drug bust