Brandon Scanlon, of Middle Island, charged with shooting at police, among 15 indicted for drug sales

A Middle Island man who exchanged gunfire with police during a high-speed chase in April has been charged along with 14 others in a conspiracy indictment alleging sales of fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamines across Suffolk County, court records show.

Brandon Scanlon, 33, is facing 12 felony charges, including two counts of first-degree attempted murder of a police officer for the shooting that occurred as detectives conducted what the acting police commissioner described at the time as a "confidential investigation." Scanlon is to be arraigned before state Supreme Court Justice Richard Ambro in Suffolk County criminal court in Riverhead on Wednesday.

A 142-count grand jury indictment shows the investigation resulted in the arrest of 15 Suffolk residents, all of whom will be arraigned on felony conspiracy charges in the coming days. Most of the defendants are also facing additional drug charges, court records show.

Acting Suffolk Police Commissioner Robert Waring said detectives were conducting an investigation just before 7 p.m. on April 4 in Bohemia when Scanlon sped away in a minivan, striking an officer and knocking him to the ground. Police followed the minivan and had multiple exchanges of gunfire with Scanlon during a 25-minute pursuit as he fled from Bohemia, through Brentwood and Bay Shore, Waring said. Both Scanlon and a police officer were shot in the exchange, police said at the time.

Waring said it was within department policy for officers to exchange gunfire while engaging in the pursuit.

The pursuit began when police arrived at a house in Bohemia to make an arrest, Waring said at the time. It ended when Scanlon crashed into a tree on North Sunrise Highway Service Road east of Robert Moses Causeway, police said.

Scanlon was remanded to the Suffolk County Jail following his initial arraignment in April, court records show. He faces up to 25 years to life in state prison on the attempted murder charge.

Scanlon is also facing weapons charges after police allegedly found an untraceable "ghost gun" in the vehicle he was driving, court records show. His defense attorney, Ian Fitzgerald, of Hampton Bays, declined to comment.

Also charged in the indictment was Nasha Tomlinson, 47, of Brentwood; Salvatore Ottomanelli, 41, of East Islip; Christopher Hudler, 37, of Bohemia; John Hickson 47, of North Amityville; Timothy Flythe, 42, of Amityville; Jaime Mullane, 29, of Sound Beach; Damion Dijennaro, 55, of Bohemia; Moshe Atzmon, 48, of Copiague; Andrew Cross, 45, of Islip; Gary Morrow, 41, of Central Islip; Paul Bernard, 30, of Bay Shore; Famous Wilson, 26, of Deer Park; Joann Benison, 35, of Lindenhurst; and Adam Shebeski, 38, of Sound Beach.

Through a spokesperson, Suffolk County District Attorney Ray Tierney declined to comment as the 15 defendants await arraignment.

Scanlon, Tomlinson, Hudler, Cross and Bernard are all facing charges related to fentanyl, a deadly synthetic opioid often mixed into other drugs that experts have attributed to a dramatic rise in overdose deaths on Long Island since 2010.

Between January 2023 and April 2024, fentanyl contributed to at least 329 overdose deaths in Suffolk alone, according to data from the Suffolk County Medical Examiner’s Office.

In addition to fentanyl, cocaine and methamphetamine charges, Tomlinson, who state prison records show previously served 18 years in state prison on a manslaughter and weapons conviction, was also charged with misdemeanor fleeing an officer and reckless driving in relation to the April 4 pursuit. Her attorney, John Russo, did not respond to a request for comment. She will be arraigned Aug. 26, records show.

Hudler's defense attorney, Keith O'Halloran, of West Hampton Beach, said his client will plead not guilty when he is arraigned on felony drug charges Aug. 22. 

"He maintains his innocence and we look forward to scrutinizing the evidence that gave rise to these charges," O'Halloran said.

Morrow's defense attorney, Sean M. Dixon, of Hauppauge, said his client is a father and respected member of his community, who was not involved in drug sales, despite charges alleging he possessed and sold cocaine.

"Mr. Morrow vehemently denies the allegations contained in the indictments and was not involved in the narcotics distribution conspiracy or any other criminal enterprise," Dixon said in a statement. "At this stage, he remains ambitious to mount his defense and vindicate himself from the allegations."

Bernard's attorney Matthew Tuohy, of Huntington, said his client "is maintaining his innocence 100%."

"His position is that he is unfairly joined into this case and believes that he will be exonerated," Tuohy said. 

Attorneys for the remaining defendants either declined to comment or could not be reached Monday. 

By Grant Parpan

grant.parpan@newsday.com@GrantParpan

Grant Parpan covers Suffolk County courts and federal courts for Newsday. A Long Island native, he joined Newsday in 2022.