DEA And Otsego County Sheriff's Office Arrest Two Defendants On Drug Charges
OTSEGO, N.Y. - Over the weekend, the Drug Enforcment Administration'(DEA) Albany District Office and the Otsego County Sheriff's Office Investigation Division effected two arrests in separate investigations.
On January 3, 2014, Casandra Marie Remillard, a former Oneonta woman, was arrested as part of a joint narcotics investigation dubbed "Operation Gold Rush" which targeted an oxycodone powder distribution ring in Otsego and Delaware Counties. "Operation Gold Rush" resulted in the conviction of Drug Kingpin Dante Darren Major in January, 2013. Major was convicted at trial and is presently serving a 55 year to life sentence in the maximum security Five Points Correctional Facility in Seneca County, NY.
In September 2011, a quantity of Oxycodone powder was purchased from Remillard during the investigation. In Late December 2013 she was indicted by the County Grand Jury for selling the narcotic drug. A sealed indictment warrant of arrest was subsequently issued for her arrest. On Friday afternoon, Remillard was arrested, arraigned by County Court Judge Brian D. Burns and remanded to the OCCF on $15,000 bail. If convicted of the charge, Remillard could face up to nine years in state prison.
As part of a second investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration Albany District Office, Otsego County Sheriff's Office Criminal Investigation Division, New York State Department of Corrections and Community Supervision and the Oneonta Police Department Detective Bureau arrested Wayne Collins, a three time convicted felon.
On December 18th, 2013 law enforcement executed a no-knock search warrant on parolee Wayne Collins' apartment. The Sheriff's Office had previously obtained the search warrant from County Court Judge Brian D. Burns. The search resulted in the seizures of quantities of Suboxone and Tramadol, both controlled substances, as well as $513 in U.S. currency and a fraudulent USA Virgin Islands Driving License inside of the apartment. Utica based parole officers arrested Collins that afternoon and lodged him in the Otsego County Correctional Facility.
Yesterday afternoon OCCF inmate Wayne Collins was arrested by investigators on the above charges. He was arraigned this morning by Oneonta City Court Judge Lucy P. Bernier and she remanded Collins back to the OCCF without bail due to his three felony convictions. Collins faces up to 15 years to life in prison, if convicted of the felony criminal possession of a forged instrument charge.
