 |
| (from top left) Jack Zibak, Jack Zaibak, Philip Mandel, David Gerowitz, Eduard Sorin |
Several men were arrested and charged with illegal drug related offenses after allegedly selling drugs to the public, according to police reports in New York.
New York Police have busted an alleged drug ring that had been selling heroin, oxycodone and other drugs in South Brooklyn, but not on Shabbat.
Five defendants were charged as part of a six month investigation called "Only after Sundown," the New York City Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget Brennan said in a news release.
Defendants Jack Zibak, 28, Jack Zaibak, 24, Eduard Sorin, 38, David Gerowitz, 37, and Philip Mandel, 25, were charged with selling drugs in an apartment located at 4190 Bedford Avenue in Sheepshead Bay, Brooklyn, authorities said.
During the investigation, police and prosecutors learned that the suspects sent mass text messages to a long list of BlackBerry customers. The texts include specific information on hours of operation, and used coded language for specific drugs.
Customers were out of luck between sunset on Friday and sunset on Saturday, police said. The drug ring had a very strict policy of observing the Sabbath, and text messages repeatedly ordered customers not to arrive during those hours, prosecutors said.
"We are closing 7:30 pm sharp and we will reopen Saturday 8:15 pm so if you need something, you have 45 minutes to get what you want,” one text message read.
Zaibak and Sorin went to pharmacies to fill fake prescriptions for oxycodone, and recruited others to do so, prosecutors said.
Zibak, Zaibak, Sorin and Gerowitz were arrested at the apartment, while Mandel, who participated in drug sales to an undercover police officer, was arrested on his way to the apartment the same day, prosecutors said.
The suspects were slapped with charges of conspiracy, sale of drugs and weapons.
A fifth defendant, Aron Dombroff, 30, was also charged, but was not arrested.