ALLEGED DRUG DEALERS INDICTED ON MULTIPLE NARCOTIC FELONIES

(SUFFOLK COUNTY, N.Y.) – Suffolk County District Attorney Raymond A. Tierney and Suffolk County Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison today announced the indictment of a Deer Park drug dealer linked to the fatal overdose of a West Babylon man last month.

“Despite having been arrested, this defendant allegedly wasted no time going back to the streets to deal drugs which, in this case, ended up being linked to the overdose death of a customer who was trying to get clean,” said Tierney. “Drug dealers should be on notice that if they continue to sell dangerous drugs in Suffolk County we will prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law and we will not stop until they are in prison. I want to thank members of the Suffolk County Police Department’s Narcotics Squad and the Long Island Joint Heroin Task Force for their partnership and help in getting these individuals off the streets before they could be linked to any more overdose deaths.”

“The Suffolk County Police Department remains dedicated to taking down narcotics dealers who plague our communities and prey on the addicted,” said Suffolk County Police Commissioner Rodney K. Harrison. “It’s an issue that touches too many families and we will continue to work with our law enforcement partners to utilize every tool to ensure dealers are held accountable. I commend the work of our Narcotics detectives and the Suffolk County District Attorney’s Office on this case.”

Vito Frabizio, 32, is charged with:

• 8 counts of Third Degree Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance;
• 18 counts of Third Degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance;
• 5 counts of Fourth Degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance;
• 1 count of Fifth Degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance;
• 6 counts of Seventh Degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance (class A misdemeanors);
• 3 counts of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia in the Second Degree (also class A misdemeanors).

His co-defendant, Joan Mangels, 40, of Amityville is charged with:

• 2 counts of Third Degree Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance;
• 8 counts of Third Degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance;   
• 2 counts of Fourth Degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance;
• 6 counts Seventh Degree Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance;
• 3 counts of Criminally Using Drug Paraphernalia in the Second Degree.  

According to the investigation, on March 7, 2022, Frabizio allegedly communicated with an undercover detective using two cell phone numbers and sold over 1/8 of an ounce of heroin and fentanyl as well as a quantity of cocaine to the detective in exchange for $400.  The next day, Suffolk County Police officers responded to the scene of a fatal overdose in West Babylon.  The decedent, Frank Cairo, was discovered by his live-in girlfriend on his bed where he had been attending a virtual Narcotics Anonymous meeting via Zoom.  At that scene, officers recovered a quantity of fentanyl, a quantity of heroin and fentanyl, three hypodermic needles, and a cellular telephone belonging to the decedent.  A review of that cellular telephone revealed conversations concerning a narcotics purchase on March 7 with a contact named “Vito.”  The number for Vito was one of the same telephone instrument numbers an undercover detective used to communicate with the defendant on March 7. 

The text conversation revealed that Frabizio allegedly sold two packages of narcotics to Frank Cairo on March 7.  Officers did, in fact, recover two bags (later determined to contain fentanyl, and a heroin-fentanyl mixture) from the scene of the fatal overdose.

On March 9, 2022, Frabizio communicated with the undercover officer again using the same two telephone numbers.  This time he directed the undercover officer to go to the Sayville Motor Lodge located on Sunrise Highway in Sayville.  Once there, the undercover observed the defendant, standing in the doorway of Room 132.  Frabizio then allegedly sold the undercover 1/8 of an ounce of fentanyl and more than 1/8 of an ounce of cocaine.  During that purchase, the undercover officer observed additional quantities of what appeared to be narcotics inside the room, as well as a female co-defendant, Mangels, laying on the bed.  Members of the Suffolk County Police Department maintained surveillance on the motel room while a search warrant was obtained for the motel room being shared by Frabizio and Mangels.  The search warrant executed and located over ½ an ounce of fentanyl, a quantity of cocaine, two digital scales and also recovered $520 of the pre-recorded buy money in addition to $3,839 in cash from their shared motel room.

Frabizio and Mangels were both arrested and charged with multiple felony narcotics offenses (as noted above).  Because none of these of these charges were facially bail eligible, Mangels was released on her own recognizance and placed on supervised release.

Frabizio was not arraigned on these charges until March 16, as he was in the hospital and had not been produced. He was released on his own recognizance with the condition that he be placed on supervised release. At that time, Frabizio was not yet charged with the two additional counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance relating to the death of Cairo and as such, the people could not request bail as there were no qualifying offenses.

A little over than a week later on March 25, Frabizio was arrested again on new felony charges.  Utilizing several new telephone instrument numbers, this defendant, acting in concert with Mangels, allegedly contacted an undercover narcotics officer and again arranged to sell additional quantities of fentanyl and cocaine. 

The undercover officer communicated with both Frabizio and Mangels via text message to make the arrangements and this time, the detective was directed to a different location in West Babylon. Once at that location, Frabizio and Mangels, acting in concert with one another, allegedly sold over 1/8 of an ounce of fentanyl as well as a quantity of cocaine to the undercover in exchange for $600. They were arrested mid-transaction and charged with a host of new felony narcotics offenses. The Suffolk County Police Department conducted a search of the West Babylon apartment the defendants were allegedly dealing from and located over 1/8 of an ounce of fentanyl, one plastic bag containing a quantity of cocaine, and 29 blue round tablets which also tested positive for fentanyl, a cellular telephone that was later discovered to be the same phone number used to communicate with the undercover officer, a digital scale, and a benefit card in the name of “Joan Mangels.”  An additional quantity of cocaine was found in Frabizio’s possession.

Mangels and Frabizio were arraigned on these new offenses the following day (March 26), and the District Attorney’s Office requested $100,000 cash/$200,000 bond or $500,000 partially secured bond for each, [CPL 510.10(4)(t) allows for bail if the defendant is out on one felony and arrested on new one]. The Court set $2,500 cash, $10,000 bond or $25,000 partially secured bond for each docket (i.e., $5,000 cash, $20,000 bond or $50,000 partially secured).

Mangels was arraigned on the first indictment on March 29.  Bail was set by the County Court (Justice John B. Collins) to the amount of $25,000 cash /$50,000 bond or $250,000 secured bond.  Mangels had no prior felony convictions and was not charged with any sales from March 7 or March 9, including the sale that caused the death of another.

On March 31, Frabizio was arraigned on the first indictment in front of Justice Richard I. Horowitz at Good Samaritan Hospital, for those narcotics offenses that occurred on March 7 and March 9. These charges now included additional counts of Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree, for the fentanyl and heroin-fentanyl bags that were sold to the decedent.  Bail was set at $100,000 cash/$250,000 bond or $500,000 secured bond.

Frabizio was arraigned today before Judge Collins on the second indictment stemming from the alleged post-release March 25 sale to an undercover detective and he was remanded without bail.  Mangels is scheduled to be arraigned on the new indictment on April 20 and remains in custody pending arraignment.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant District Attorney Dana Gremaux of the Narcotics Bureau.

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Criminal complaints and indictments are merely accusatory instruments.

Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. No one is above the law.

William J. Lindsay County Complex • Building 77 • 725 Veterans Memorial Highway, Hauppauge, NY 11788

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