Crime and Courts

Husband of NY Assembly Speaker's Chief of Staff Arrested on Drug Charges

What to Know

  • Orlando Dennis, the husband of the chief of staff to NY State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, was arrested early Monday at JFK airport by U.S. Homeland Security agents
  • Dennis, 31, faces charges of illegally importing cocaine, prosecutors say
  • Dennis’ wife, Jevonni Brooks, was with Dennis at the time of his arrest but is not charged, the sources said.

Orlando Dennis, the husband of the chief of staff to NY State Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, was arrested early Monday at JFK airport by U.S. Homeland Security agents.

Dennis, 31, faces charges of illegally importing cocaine, prosecutors say.

Dennis, a delivery truck driver, is charged in a criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Brooklyn.

Dennis was arrested after arriving at JFK airport on a flight from Jamaica, court papers say. Dennis’ wife, Jevonni Brooks, was with Dennis at the time of his arrest but is not charged, the sources said.

The court papers charging Dennis state that in June 2019 U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers examined an unclaimed bag which had arrived at JFK airport from Jamaica.  The bag was found to contain cocaine having a street value of $100,000.  U.S. Homeland Security agents subsequently reviewed surveillance footage from the baggage loading area on the date the bag arrived. 

An airport employee was observed to be in the loading area and appeared to be looking for a certain type of bag but missed it, according to court documents. The employee was also allegedly observed on his cell phone while looking for the bag. Toll records of the employee’s cell phone revealed he was allegedly speaking with another individual who investigators determined was located in Jamaica at the time. 

Additionally, toll records for that person’s cell phone showed numerous calls to Dennis, court papers state.  Both the airport employee and the individual in Jamaica were arrested in August, pleaded guilty to drug importation charges and are awaiting sentencing.

Following Dennis’ arrest Monday, investigators searched his cell phone and allegedly discovered a picture of the bag unclaimed in June and text messages about the bag between Dennis, the airport employee and the person in Jamaica.  Dennis admitted to investigators that he knew the co-conspirator in Jamaica and knew he was a narcotics trafficker involved in marijuana and cocaine, court papers say.

Dennis appeared in Brooklyn federal court Monday afternoon. He was released on a $150,000 bail. He faces a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, if convicted.

News 4 was unable to reach defense attorney Calvin Scholar for comment.

A spokesman for Heastie told News 4 "the speaker does not know anything about this."

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