An indictment was unsealed yesterday at the federal court in Central Islip, revealing charges against five members and associates of the Long Island-based drug trafficking organization, "No Budget". As reported by the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the group has been accused of distributing large quantities of cocaine and fentanyl since 2017 across Long Island and Queens, New York. The accused include Nicholas Andrade, the alleged leader, Julian Hutchins, Prince Jones, Jose Lopez, and Ryan O’Malley. Law enforcement officials have linked the organization to a murder in March 2023, as well as the non-fatal shooting of a witness.
The series of events leading to the arrests and indictment spanned years, with Andrade also charged for his role in the March 9, 2023 killing of Jose Manuel Sosa in Bay Shore, along with the attempted murder of a potential witness the following day. "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," United States Attorney John J. Durham stated in the press release. This recent crackdown forms part of a broader initiative to systematically disrupt and disband high-level criminal organizations that pose a threat to communities across the United States.
Investigators uncovered that "No Budget" used a number of stash houses in Queens and on Long Island to facilitate their operations. The operation yielded more than 235 kilograms of cocaine and 20 kilograms of fentanyl distributed throughout the region. On Sunday, authorities intercepted an important shipment of 137 kilograms of cocaine traveling from California to New York, destined for No Budget’s distribution channels, which demonstrates the sprawling nature of this drug ring, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
These intensive efforts are part of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces operation, which uses an intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach to dismantle serious criminal threats. The indictment also ties into Operation Take Back America, which aims to counter illegal immigration, eliminate cartel operations, and safeguard communities from the impact of violent crime.
While the case continues to unfold, the charges present in the indictment are merely allegations at this stage, with the defendants presumed innocent until proven otherwise. The prosecution of this case falls under the oversight of Assistant United States Attorneys James R. Simmons and Michael R. Maffei of the Office’s Long Island Division. The accused, barring Hutchins who was arrested in Florida, were detained pending trial following their arraignment before United States Magistrate Judge Steven I. Locke.
