Earlier today, a federal court in Central Islip unsealed an indictment implicating five individuals of a Long Island-based drug trafficking organization known as "No Budget." The accused, Nicholas Andrade, Julian Hutchins, Prince Jones, Jose Lopez, and Ryan O'Malley, face charges related to distributing cocaine and fentanyl since 2017. The operation transported these narcotics across the country, focusing on distribution in Long Island and Queens, New York. Andrade, believed to be the organization's leader, is also accused of involvement in a murder and an attempted murder in March 2023.
Authorities arrested four defendants in New York, who were arraigned and ordered detained pending trial by United States Magistrate Judge Steven I. Locke. Hutchins was arrested in Florida and awaits arraignment in the Eastern District of New York. Conviction could lead to life imprisonment for the defendants.
Announcing the arrests, John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, stated, "As alleged, the defendants participated in the large-scale distribution of deadly narcotics across Long Island and committed crimes of extreme violence to maintain their drug business." Durham expressed gratitude to various law enforcement agencies, including the Suffolk County Police Department and the DEA, for their work on the case.
Frank A. Tarentino III, DEA Special Agent in Charge, remarked, "The indictment against these individuals who ran a drug trafficking organization known as 'No Budget' spared no cost at using violence to run their illicit drug distribution of cocaine and fentanyl."
Since 2017, the defendants have allegedly trafficked significant quantities of fentanyl and cocaine, operating stash houses in Queens and Long Island. Investigations included intercepting a truck carrying 137 kilograms of cocaine intended for the organization's distribution network. In total, defendants are accused of distributing over 235 kilograms of cocaine and 20 kilograms of fentanyl.
Andrade also allegedly directed violent crimes, including the March 2023 murder of Jose Manuel Sosa. The murder was connected to a dispute involving another Long Island drug dealer. Andrade further attempted to murder a potential witness to Sosa's murder. This effort is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) operation, aiming to disrupt high-level criminal organizations. The charges remain allegations, with the defendants presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
The prosecution is managed by the Criminal Section of the United States Attorney's Office's Long Island Division, led by Assistant United States Attorneys James R. Simmons and Michael R. Maffei.