A heroin distribution ring was busted in Hempstead and several people face charges, the Nassau County district attorney announced Wednesday.

District Attorney Kathleen Rice said the yearlong probe was prompted by 135 heroin overdose deaths over the past few years. The victims range in age from 18 to 59. The deaths eventually led investigators to arrest 26 people from across the Island.

"There were individuals leaving Hempstead and going to Brooklyn because they knew the kind of product they were able to get there," Rice said. "They would go to Brooklyn and purchase the product and come back to Hempstead and sell it at a higher price."

The suspects packaged the heroin and sold it under names like "Killa," "Sweet Sensation" and "Bad Dreams," the DA said.

To watch the complete news conference with Nassau DA Rice on the heroin bust, go to channel 612 on your iO digital cable box and select iO Extra.