PD: Suffolk Task Force Arrests Heroin-Dealing Trio

(From left to right) Robert Grof, Leslie Stade, Paul Stade

A brother and sister from Wantagh and a Queens man were arrested earlier this month on heroin charges, including for selling throughout Suffolk, authorities said.

Authorities said the trio’s heroin sales were in excess of $5,000 over a three-week period in January.

Among the areas they sold in were Northport Village and East Northport, according to Northport Police Chief Bill Ricca.

The arrests were made on Feb. 2.

Robert Grof, 53, was arrested at his 260th Street home in Glen Oaks. He is charged with three counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, and one count of fourth-degree conspiracy. He was arraigned at Suffolk First District Court in Central Islip on Feb. 3.

Bail for Grof was set at $50,000 cash, $150,000 bond and was not posted. Grof, who is being represented by Uniondale-based attorney Toni Marie Angeli, was slated to appear in court again Wednesday after deadline.

Siblings Paul, 56, and Leslie Stade, 53, were arrested at their Lawrence Place home in Wantagh.

Paul Stade is charged with four counts of third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, and one count of fourth-degree conspiracy. He was arraigned at Suffolk First District court on Feb. 3, with bail set at $50,000 cash and $100,000 bond, which wasn’t posted. Paul Stade, who appeared in court again Wednesday, is being represented by a legal aid and is next scheduled to appear March 5.

Leslie Stade is charged with three counts of fourth-degree criminal facilitation, and one count of fourth-degree conspiracy. She was arraigned Feb. 3 with bail set at $5,000 cash, $10,000 bond, which was not posted. Leslie Stade, who is represented by Patchogue-based attorney Mary-Elizabeth Abbate, was scheduled to appear in court again Wednesday.

The arrests were the result of an investigation by Suffolk’s heroin task force, a mix of investigators from the Suffolk DA’s office, Suffolk police department, Suffolk sheriff’s office and Northport Village Police Department. The lead investigator in this case was from the sheriff’s office, authorities said.

Northport Police Chief Bill Ricca said, ‘This case is a fine example of the routine inter-agency cooperation that exists within the Suffolk County Law Enforcement Community.”

—ANDREW WROBLEWSKI