Queens man indicted, five others charged in large-scale narcotics bust in Nassau

Six people were indicted for their suspected roles in a large-scale narcotics trafficking conspiracy that brought deadly drugs including fentanyl and xylazine, or “Tranq,” to communities throughout Nassau, county and state officials announced on Wednesday, Sept. 9.

Nassau County District Attorney Anne Donnelly, Nassau County Police Commissioner Patrick Ryder, and Homeland Security Investigations New York Acting Special Agent in Charge Pete Gizas said at a press conference in Mineola that a search warrant executed in July led to the recovery of more than half a million fatal doses of fentanyl, along with firearms and other narcotics, ending a yearlong investigation between the three departments.

Jemmal Bryan of Queens, was arraigned on Sept. 1, on two counts of operating as a major trafficker, three counts of conspiracy, 24 counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance and 27 counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, officials said.

Keana Bryan, of Endicott, NY, was arraigned on Sept. 4, on three counts of conspiracy, eight counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance and eight counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, officials said.

Ian Sharkey of Middle Island was arraigned on two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance and conspiracy, officials said.

Leo Duchnowski of Glen Cove and Jennifer Loheide of Merrick were also both charged with two counts of conspiracy, officials said.

Joseph Giunta of Seaford, was charged with two counts of criminal possession of a controlled substance, officials said.

All six people pleaded not guilty and are all due back in court between Sept. 24 and Oct. 6.

Beginning in June 2025, NCPD’s Narcotics and Vice Squad identified unique green ink stamps bearing the name “Bruce Banner” on the outside of envelopes of packaged narcotics found at the scenes of two overdoses just weeks apart, Donnelly said.

An investigation into those stamps and other unique stamps led detectives to phone numbers belonging to Jemmal Bryan, and officials then discovered that Jemmal Bryan allegedly arranged hundreds of narcotics sales along with his sister, Keana Bryan, throughout Nassau, including in Roosevelt, Valley Stream, Glen Cove, Merrick and Massapequa, Donnelly said.

Jemmal Bryan conducted some of the alleged sales out of a black Ford Explorer rented for him by Duchnowski and in the driveway of Loheide’s Merrick home, the DA said.

Jemmal Bryan allegedly sold bundles (10 envelopes) and sleeves (100 envelopes) of fentanyl, a mix of fentanyl and xylazine/Tranq, and cocaine, Donnelly said.

Sharkey allegedly bought between 14 and 18 bundles of fentanyl every two to three days during the period of the investigation, with each envelopes being marked with Bryan’s unique stamps, the DA said.

In roughly six months, Jemmal Bryan allegedly made more than $75,000 from narcotics sales, she said.

A search warrant executed at Jemmal Bryan’s Queens apartment on July 16, recovered roughly 1,040 grams of fentanyl, 2,261 packaged envelopes with various stamps containing fentanyl, roughly 200 grams of cocaine, roughly 100 grams of crack cocaine, roughly 17 grams of MDMA pills, roughly one gram of purple fentanyl, roughly eight grams of Adderal, four firearms, including two stolen firearms $12,371 in cash, multiple cellphones, including the two that were the subjects of the wiretap investigation, over 15,000 empty glassine envelopes, assorted drug cutting agents, and drug paraphernalia including bags, dosing spoons, blenders, grinders, scales, rubber bands used to bag up the bundles and sleeves, fentanyl test strips, Narcan, gloves and masks, Donnelly said.