3 men charged with drug sales after nonfatal overdose, Nassau County police say

Three men were arrested and charged with selling drugs Tuesday after a nonfatal overdose led investigators to two Massapequa stores — a smoke shop and deli on Park Lane and a smoke shop on nearby Sunrise Highway, Nassau County police said.

Mahendrakumar G. Patel, 39, of Flushing, Meet D. Patel, 23, of Hicksville, and Prem R. Parekh, 20, of Hicksville, were arrested by Narcotics / Vice Squad detectives, police said in a news release.

Mahendrakumar G. Patel and Parekh were each charged with fifth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and two counts of fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell. Meet D. Patel was charged with fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance with intent to sell.

All three were arraigned Wednesday in First District Court in Hempstead. All three were all released without cash bail and are due back in court on May 3, according to online court records.

It was not immediately clear if any of the defendants are represented by counsel.

Police said detectives were investigating what was described as "a non-fatal overdose" and that led them to the two shops where it was determined THC — or, Tetrahydrocannabinol — was being sold, leading to the three arrests.

The deli and smoke shop convenience store is located at 1 Park Lane, the smoke shop at 33 Sunrise Highway.

By John Valenti

john.valenti@newsday.com

John Valenti, a reporter at Newsday since 1981, has been honored nationally by the Associated Press and Society of the Silurians for investigative, enterprise and breaking news reporting, as well as column writing, and is the author of “Swee'pea,” a book about former New York playground basketball star Lloyd Daniels. Valenti is featured in the Emmy Award-winning ESPN 30-for-30 film “Big Shot.”