The Office of the United States Attorney for the District of Vermont stated that yesterday Alan H. Willis, II, of Tinmouth, was sentenced by Chief United States District Judge Christina Reiss to 37 months’ imprisonment on his guilty plea to a charge of conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin. Chief Judge Reiss also ordered that Willis serve two years on supervised release after his incarceration ends. Willis has been detained since his arraignment.
According to court documents, Willis trafficked between 700 and 1000 grams of heroin in the Rutland area from summer 2012 to February 2013. In late January 2013, the Vermont Drug Task Force (VDTF) used a confidential informant to make two controlled purchases of heroin from Willis, the first at his home and the second in the parking lot of Rutland’s Diamond Run Mall. On February 4, 2013, the VDTF and several other agencies executed a search warrant at Willis’ residence, seizing 1,500 bags of heroin and $4,800 in cash.
Originally charged in Rutland Superior Court by the Vermont Attorney General’s Office, Willis was first indicted by a federal grand jury on April 24, 2013, leading to dismissal of the state charges. On July 24, 2013, based on a joint investigation by the VDTF, the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the grand jury returned a superseding indictment expanding the temporal scope of the conspiracy and charging Joshua Rose, 21; Devon Cruz, 29; Charles Hercules, 23, all of New York; Evan Murphy, 23, and Jean Marie Phillips, 47, both of Rutland, along with Willis, as conspirators. On January 24, 2014, Phillips entered a guilty plea to a charge of aiding and abetting Rose’s possession with intent to distribute heroin. She is scheduled for sentencing on May 9, 2014. Today, Murphy entered a guilty plea to the conspiracy charge in the superseding indictment. Murphy is scheduled for sentencing on August 26, 2014. Rose, Cruz, and Hercules are awaiting trial.
United States Attorney Coffin commended the joint investigation by the VDTF, DEA and FBI and thanked the Vermont Attorney General’s Office for its cooperation. Rutland attorney Elizabeth Mann represented Willis. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig S. Nolan.
Showing posts with label heroin. Show all posts
Showing posts with label heroin. Show all posts
Monday, May 5, 2014
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
Enforcer for Atlantic City Dirty Block Gang Admits Participating in Heroin Trafficking Conspiracy
CAMDEN—An Atlantic City, New Jersey man admitted today to engaging in a conspiracy to distribute heroin with the Dirty Block criminal street gang that allegedly used threats, intimidation, and violence to maintain control of the illegal drug trade in Atlantic City.
Shaamel Spencer, a/k/a “Buck,” 30, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph E. Irenas in Camden federal court to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and one count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
During the period of the conspiracy Spencer acted as an “enforcer” on behalf of Mykal Derry, 33, of Atlantic City, helping Dirty Block to control the heroin trafficking trade in and around the public housing apartment complexes of Stanley Holmes, Carver Hall, Schoolhouse, Adams Court, and Cedar Court in Atlantic City. Spencer assisted in the distribution of heroin to Dirty Block customers.
Spencer was arrested on October 30, 2012, and found to be in possession of a firearm at the time of the arrest. On February 12, 2013, Spencer was charged federally with being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. A search warrant executed at Spencer’s residence at the time of his arrest revealed approximately $4,500 in suspected drug proceeds, as well as a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and approximately 44 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Spencer and other members of the Dirty Block gang—a number of them previously convicted felons—travelled to a shooting range in Lakewood, New Jersey, where they were photographed firing handguns.
As part of his guilty plea, Spencer admitted to distributing heroin. He also admitted to being a previously convicted felon who possessed firearms and ammunition and that specifically, he took a handgun to an Atlantic City casino where he believed Derry was involved in a violent fight with his rivals. Spencer also agreed to forfeit the proceeds of his drug trafficking, as well as his firearms and ammunition.
The drug conspiracy charge carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and maximum $5 million fine. The felon-in-possession charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 22, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Division, Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford; the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor James P. McClain; the Atlantic City Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Henry White; and the South Jersey Safe Streets Violent Incident and Gang Task Force, with the investigation.
The charges and allegations in the indictment charging Derry are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Askin and Justin C. Danilewitz.
Shaamel Spencer, a/k/a “Buck,” 30, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph E. Irenas in Camden federal court to a superseding information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and one count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
During the period of the conspiracy Spencer acted as an “enforcer” on behalf of Mykal Derry, 33, of Atlantic City, helping Dirty Block to control the heroin trafficking trade in and around the public housing apartment complexes of Stanley Holmes, Carver Hall, Schoolhouse, Adams Court, and Cedar Court in Atlantic City. Spencer assisted in the distribution of heroin to Dirty Block customers.
Spencer was arrested on October 30, 2012, and found to be in possession of a firearm at the time of the arrest. On February 12, 2013, Spencer was charged federally with being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition. A search warrant executed at Spencer’s residence at the time of his arrest revealed approximately $4,500 in suspected drug proceeds, as well as a 9mm semi-automatic handgun and approximately 44 rounds of 9mm ammunition.
Spencer and other members of the Dirty Block gang—a number of them previously convicted felons—travelled to a shooting range in Lakewood, New Jersey, where they were photographed firing handguns.
As part of his guilty plea, Spencer admitted to distributing heroin. He also admitted to being a previously convicted felon who possessed firearms and ammunition and that specifically, he took a handgun to an Atlantic City casino where he believed Derry was involved in a violent fight with his rivals. Spencer also agreed to forfeit the proceeds of his drug trafficking, as well as his firearms and ammunition.
The drug conspiracy charge carries a minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and maximum $5 million fine. The felon-in-possession charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for July 22, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI’s Newark Division, Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford; the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Acting Prosecutor James P. McClain; the Atlantic City Police Department, under the direction of Police Chief Henry White; and the South Jersey Safe Streets Violent Incident and Gang Task Force, with the investigation.
The charges and allegations in the indictment charging Derry are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Patrick C. Askin and Justin C. Danilewitz.
Wednesday, April 9, 2014
Barboursville Man Sentenced to Federal Prison for Distributing Heroin
HUNTINGTON, WV—A Barboursville man who admitted he distributed heroin was sentenced in federal court today, U.S. Attorney Booth Goodwin announced. DeMarco D. Calvin, 31, of Barboursville, West Virginia, previously pleaded guilty in December 2013 to heroin distribution. Calvin admitted that he sold several hundred grams of heroin in the Barboursville area over the past few years. At today’s hearing, Chief United States District Judge Robert C. Chambers sentenced Calvin to 63 months of federal imprisonment, to be followed by three years of supervised release.
This case was investigated by the Huntington Violent Crime/Drug Task Force, which is composed of officers from the FBI, Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, and the Huntington and Barboursville Police Departments. Special Assistant United States Attorney Sharon M. Frazier handled the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
This case was investigated by the Huntington Violent Crime/Drug Task Force, which is composed of officers from the FBI, Cabell County Sheriff’s Department, and the Huntington and Barboursville Police Departments. Special Assistant United States Attorney Sharon M. Frazier handled the prosecution.
This case was prosecuted as part of an ongoing effort led by the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of West Virginia to combat the illicit sale and misuse of prescription drugs and heroin. The U.S. Attorney’s Office, joined by federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies, is committed to aggressively pursuing and shutting down illegal pill trafficking, eliminating open air drug markets, and curtailing the spread of opiate painkillers and heroin in communities across the Southern District.
Tuesday, March 25, 2014
Three Individuals Sentened in Scheme to Smuggle Heroin into State Prison
WASHINGTON—A former correctional officer, a correctional nurse, and an associate of another former correctional officer were sentenced today in the District of Puerto Rico for attempting to smuggle and deliver heroin into Bayamón State Penitentiary.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez of the District of Puerto Rico made the announcement.
Former correctional officer Angel López-Reverón, 39, of Hatillo, Puerto Rico, and former correctional nurse Victoria Rivera, 49, of Corozal, Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty on November 20, 2013, to a one-count indictment charging them separately with attempt to distribute a controlled substance. Lopez and Rivera were each sentenced to serve 37 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Francisco A. Besosa.
López-Reverón was paid $1,000 to provide a package of heroin to an inmate at the Bayamón State Penitentiary, where López-Reverón worked as a correctional officer. On September 15, 2010, López-Reverón met with an undercover agent, whom he believed was a drug dealer, and was given what he believed to be a package of heroin. He delivered the purported heroin to an inmate in the prison that same day.
Separately, Rivera was also paid $1,000 to provide package of heroin to an inmate at the Bayamón State Penitentiary, where Rivera worked as a nurse. On July 1, 2010, Rivera met with an undercover agent, whom she believed was a drug dealer, and was given what she believed to be a package of heroin. She delivered the purported heroin to an inmate in the prison that same day.
Antonio Román-Medina, 39, of Isabela, Puerto Rico, was also sentenced today to serve 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Carmen C. Cerezo. He pleaded guilty on December 17, 2013, to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Román-Medina and a co-conspirator, William Joel Medina, were paid $4,000 to deliver a package of heroin to an inmate at the Medical Center in San Juan. On September 9, 2009, Román-Medina and Medina met with an undercover agent, whom they believed was a drug dealer, and were given what they believed to be a package of heroin. Román-Medina delivered the purported heroin to the inmate that same day.
William Joel Medina, a former correctional officer with the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve 37 months in prison for the same scheme.
The cases were investigated by the FBI’s San Juan Division. The cases were prosecuted by Trial Attorney Menaka Kalaskar of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hector Ramírez-Carbó and Justin R. Martin of the District of Puerto Rico.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez of the District of Puerto Rico made the announcement.
Former correctional officer Angel López-Reverón, 39, of Hatillo, Puerto Rico, and former correctional nurse Victoria Rivera, 49, of Corozal, Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty on November 20, 2013, to a one-count indictment charging them separately with attempt to distribute a controlled substance. Lopez and Rivera were each sentenced to serve 37 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Francisco A. Besosa.
López-Reverón was paid $1,000 to provide a package of heroin to an inmate at the Bayamón State Penitentiary, where López-Reverón worked as a correctional officer. On September 15, 2010, López-Reverón met with an undercover agent, whom he believed was a drug dealer, and was given what he believed to be a package of heroin. He delivered the purported heroin to an inmate in the prison that same day.
Separately, Rivera was also paid $1,000 to provide package of heroin to an inmate at the Bayamón State Penitentiary, where Rivera worked as a nurse. On July 1, 2010, Rivera met with an undercover agent, whom she believed was a drug dealer, and was given what she believed to be a package of heroin. She delivered the purported heroin to an inmate in the prison that same day.
Antonio Román-Medina, 39, of Isabela, Puerto Rico, was also sentenced today to serve 24 months in prison by U.S. District Judge Carmen C. Cerezo. He pleaded guilty on December 17, 2013, to conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance.
Román-Medina and a co-conspirator, William Joel Medina, were paid $4,000 to deliver a package of heroin to an inmate at the Medical Center in San Juan. On September 9, 2009, Román-Medina and Medina met with an undercover agent, whom they believed was a drug dealer, and were given what they believed to be a package of heroin. Román-Medina delivered the purported heroin to the inmate that same day.
William Joel Medina, a former correctional officer with the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections, pleaded guilty and was sentenced to serve 37 months in prison for the same scheme.
The cases were investigated by the FBI’s San Juan Division. The cases were prosecuted by Trial Attorney Menaka Kalaskar of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Hector Ramírez-Carbó and Justin R. Martin of the District of Puerto Rico.
Thursday, March 20, 2014
Federal Judge Sentences Manager of Heroin Conspiracy That Distributed Heroin Resulting in Death to 20 Years in Prison
PORTLAND, OR—On March 18, 2014, U.S. District Court Judge Marco Hernandez sentenced Samuel Navarrette-Aguilar, 41, a citizen of Mexico, to 240 months for his managerial role in a heroin trafficking conspiracy involving a kilogram or more of heroin. A federal jury found the defendant guilty of the conspiracy in June 2013. Judge Hernandez further found by a preponderance of evidence that heroin distributed by the defendant resulted in the death of Erin Freeman, 22, who overdosed on heroin in her Portland residence in June 2012. Judge Hernandez cited this and other factors to support his sentence, including the fact that the defendant committed this crime after escaping from a Washington state prison sentence for drug trafficking and having remained at large since 1999. Although the quantity of heroin subjected the defendant to a statutorily mandated minimum sentence of 20 years, Judge Hernandez indicated he would have pronounced the same sentence independent of the mandatory minimum requirement.
Reaching into the upper echelon of a trafficking conspiracy from the tragic scene of a young woman’s last failure against heroin addiction, required a fast-moving investigation led by the Portland Police Bureau Drugs and Vice Division, with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“This sentence serves justice. In 2012, we lost 147 Oregonians to heroin, many of those, like Erin Freeman, were far too young,” said U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall. “This defendant and other purveyors of this deadly drug face heavy penalties as Oregon and communities across the nation address the clear and present danger of this heroin epidemic.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Bickers.
Reaching into the upper echelon of a trafficking conspiracy from the tragic scene of a young woman’s last failure against heroin addiction, required a fast-moving investigation led by the Portland Police Bureau Drugs and Vice Division, with support from the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Drug Enforcement Administration.
“This sentence serves justice. In 2012, we lost 147 Oregonians to heroin, many of those, like Erin Freeman, were far too young,” said U.S. Attorney Amanda Marshall. “This defendant and other purveyors of this deadly drug face heavy penalties as Oregon and communities across the nation address the clear and present danger of this heroin epidemic.”
This case was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Kathleen Bickers.
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
Twenty-Eight Members and Associates of Paterson Bloods Street Gang Charged in Manhattan Federal Court with Distributing Heroin, Crack Cocaine, and Powder Cocaine and with Firearms Offenses
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; Aaron T. Ford, the Special Agent in Charge of the Newark Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); William Fraher, the Acting Chief of Police of the Paterson Police Department, and Gary F. Giardina, the Chief of Police of the Clifton Police Department, today announced the unsealing of a superseding indictment charging 28 members and associates of the Bloods street gang operating in Passaic County, New Jersey, principally in the city of Paterson, with distribution and possession with the intent to distribute heroin, “crack” cocaine, and powder cocaine. The indictment also charges three of the defendants with brandishing firearms in furtherance of drug trafficking activity and with being felons unlawfully in possession of firearms.
Of the 28 defendants named in the superseding indictment, nine were taken into custody in a weekend sweep. Those nine defendants were presented in Manhattan federal court this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman and detained. Five other defendants are presently detained in state custody on unrelated charges and will be writted into federal custody. One defendant, Hakim Lowery, remains at large. The other 13 defendants were arrested on earlier occasions on the underlying indictments, and all remain detained.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “Once again we see the convergence of drugs, guns, and violence that plagues neighborhoods, threatens their inhabitants, and spreads potentially lethal narcotics from city to city and across state lines. To keep our neighborhoods free of illegal drugs and gang violence, we will continue to work closely with our local law enforcement partners to vigorously enforce federal drug and firearms laws.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford said, “Dismantling violent gangs is a continuing priority for the FBI. Our efforts to address gang violence are not new, but we are working with our partners with increased manpower and increased urgency to address current circumstances. Today’s arrests and charges are the result of a successful, long term investigation conducted by the FBI and the Paterson and Clifton Police Departments.”
Paterson Police Department Acting Chief William Fraher said, “It is critically important for cities like Paterson to leverage their existing collaborative relationships with federal and local law enforcement to reduce not only the actual violence in our communities but also reducing the perception of fear which can be just as important.”
Clifton Police Department Chief Gary F. Giardina said, “Problems faced by law enforcement do not stop at the city borders. What is one city’s problem most likely is the next city’s and at times overlaps into the next state. It is for these reasons that it is imperative that agencies work in partnership to be successful. In this case, Clifton Police worked in partnership with the Paterson Police and FBI in order to bring this investigation to a successful conclusion.”
According to the allegations in the superseding indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
Various “sets” of the Bloods, particularly the Fruit Town Brims and Sex Money Murder, among others, operated in Paterson, often coordinating, collaborating, and working together (defined in the Indictment as the “Paterson Bloods”). Ranking members of the Paterson Bloods would often meet to resolve disputes between their respective “soldier” members of the sets and could direct punishment against non-members. Among these punishments were that individuals were to be assaulted or killed by members of the Paterson Bloods.
The Paterson Bloods operated the drug markets in certain central locations in Paterson, New Jersey, including, in particular: North Main Street from East Main Street to Jefferson Street (an area known as “The Main”); Graham Avenue/Rosa Parks Boulevard from Lyon Street to Franklin Street (“The Boulevard”); Graham Avenue/Rosa Parks Boulevard from 12th Avenue to Hamilton Avenue; 12th Avenue from East 22nd Street to East 24th Street; 10th Avenue from East 26th Street to East 30th Street; Governor Street from Graham Avenue to Summer Street (“Up the Hill”); and Park Avenue from Madison Avenue to East 16th Street. Members of the Paterson Bloods were permitted to sell heroin and “crack” cocaine in these areas. Generally, non-members, outsiders, and rival narcotics dealers were prohibited or prevented from distributing narcotics in areas controlled by the Paterson Bloods. Certain individuals—such as people who had grown up in areas controlled by the Paterson Bloods, people of neutral gang or neighborhood group affiliation, or marijuana dealers who often sold to members of the Paterson Bloods—were permitted to distribute narcotics in areas controlled by the Paterson Bloods but did so without the protection of the members of the Paterson Bloods and at the risk of being robbed by members of the gang. For example, on June 17, 2013, a drug dispute broke out in the area of 12th Avenue and 22nd Street, during which the defendant Rachaun Parker, a member of the Fruit Town Brims set of the Bloods, assisted an individual who was considered a “neutral” from his neighborhood. Members of the Fruit Town Brims, including defendants Hakim Lowery and Jamar Edwards, violently beat Parker for violating the rules of the set.
Members of the Paterson Bloods and their associates committed and conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence to protect and expand their drug trafficking operations and to protect fellow members of the gang. These acts included beatings, stabbings, and shootings intended to prevent people not affiliated with the Paterson Bloods from distributing narcotics in areas controlled by the gang, or to dissuade members of rival gangs, such as the Latin Kings, from encroaching on territory controlled by the Paterson Bloods.
Members of the charged narcotics distribution conspiracy agreed to possess and distribute heroin, “crack” cocaine, and cocaine powder in the Bronx, Manhattan, and New Jersey. On at least two occasions, certain defendants, armed with loaded guns, delivered what they believed to be approximately one kilogram of cocaine to an address in the Bronx in return for delivery fees.
Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the FBI, the Paterson Police Department, and the Clifton Police Department. The investigation is a result of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force program, and it combined the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with local law enforcement.
The Office’s Violent Crimes Unit is overseeing the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justina L. Geraci and Michael D. Maimin are in charge of the prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolina A. Fornos is in charge of the asset forfeiture components of the case.
The charges contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Of the 28 defendants named in the superseding indictment, nine were taken into custody in a weekend sweep. Those nine defendants were presented in Manhattan federal court this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman and detained. Five other defendants are presently detained in state custody on unrelated charges and will be writted into federal custody. One defendant, Hakim Lowery, remains at large. The other 13 defendants were arrested on earlier occasions on the underlying indictments, and all remain detained.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “Once again we see the convergence of drugs, guns, and violence that plagues neighborhoods, threatens their inhabitants, and spreads potentially lethal narcotics from city to city and across state lines. To keep our neighborhoods free of illegal drugs and gang violence, we will continue to work closely with our local law enforcement partners to vigorously enforce federal drug and firearms laws.”
FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford said, “Dismantling violent gangs is a continuing priority for the FBI. Our efforts to address gang violence are not new, but we are working with our partners with increased manpower and increased urgency to address current circumstances. Today’s arrests and charges are the result of a successful, long term investigation conducted by the FBI and the Paterson and Clifton Police Departments.”
Paterson Police Department Acting Chief William Fraher said, “It is critically important for cities like Paterson to leverage their existing collaborative relationships with federal and local law enforcement to reduce not only the actual violence in our communities but also reducing the perception of fear which can be just as important.”
Clifton Police Department Chief Gary F. Giardina said, “Problems faced by law enforcement do not stop at the city borders. What is one city’s problem most likely is the next city’s and at times overlaps into the next state. It is for these reasons that it is imperative that agencies work in partnership to be successful. In this case, Clifton Police worked in partnership with the Paterson Police and FBI in order to bring this investigation to a successful conclusion.”
According to the allegations in the superseding indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court:
Various “sets” of the Bloods, particularly the Fruit Town Brims and Sex Money Murder, among others, operated in Paterson, often coordinating, collaborating, and working together (defined in the Indictment as the “Paterson Bloods”). Ranking members of the Paterson Bloods would often meet to resolve disputes between their respective “soldier” members of the sets and could direct punishment against non-members. Among these punishments were that individuals were to be assaulted or killed by members of the Paterson Bloods.
The Paterson Bloods operated the drug markets in certain central locations in Paterson, New Jersey, including, in particular: North Main Street from East Main Street to Jefferson Street (an area known as “The Main”); Graham Avenue/Rosa Parks Boulevard from Lyon Street to Franklin Street (“The Boulevard”); Graham Avenue/Rosa Parks Boulevard from 12th Avenue to Hamilton Avenue; 12th Avenue from East 22nd Street to East 24th Street; 10th Avenue from East 26th Street to East 30th Street; Governor Street from Graham Avenue to Summer Street (“Up the Hill”); and Park Avenue from Madison Avenue to East 16th Street. Members of the Paterson Bloods were permitted to sell heroin and “crack” cocaine in these areas. Generally, non-members, outsiders, and rival narcotics dealers were prohibited or prevented from distributing narcotics in areas controlled by the Paterson Bloods. Certain individuals—such as people who had grown up in areas controlled by the Paterson Bloods, people of neutral gang or neighborhood group affiliation, or marijuana dealers who often sold to members of the Paterson Bloods—were permitted to distribute narcotics in areas controlled by the Paterson Bloods but did so without the protection of the members of the Paterson Bloods and at the risk of being robbed by members of the gang. For example, on June 17, 2013, a drug dispute broke out in the area of 12th Avenue and 22nd Street, during which the defendant Rachaun Parker, a member of the Fruit Town Brims set of the Bloods, assisted an individual who was considered a “neutral” from his neighborhood. Members of the Fruit Town Brims, including defendants Hakim Lowery and Jamar Edwards, violently beat Parker for violating the rules of the set.
Members of the Paterson Bloods and their associates committed and conspired, attempted, and threatened to commit acts of violence to protect and expand their drug trafficking operations and to protect fellow members of the gang. These acts included beatings, stabbings, and shootings intended to prevent people not affiliated with the Paterson Bloods from distributing narcotics in areas controlled by the gang, or to dissuade members of rival gangs, such as the Latin Kings, from encroaching on territory controlled by the Paterson Bloods.
Members of the charged narcotics distribution conspiracy agreed to possess and distribute heroin, “crack” cocaine, and cocaine powder in the Bronx, Manhattan, and New Jersey. On at least two occasions, certain defendants, armed with loaded guns, delivered what they believed to be approximately one kilogram of cocaine to an address in the Bronx in return for delivery fees.
* * *
The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Laura Taylor Swain. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of the defendants will be determined by the judge.Mr. Bharara praised the investigative work of the FBI, the Paterson Police Department, and the Clifton Police Department. The investigation is a result of the Department of Justice’s Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force program, and it combined the resources and expertise of its member federal agencies in cooperation with local law enforcement.
The Office’s Violent Crimes Unit is overseeing the case. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Justina L. Geraci and Michael D. Maimin are in charge of the prosecution. Assistant U.S. Attorney Carolina A. Fornos is in charge of the asset forfeiture components of the case.
The charges contained in the superseding indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Friday, February 21, 2014
Nineteen People Indicted for Conspiracy to Traffic Heroin, Crack Cocaine, and Pills in Marion, Ohio
Nineteen people were indicted in federal court for their roles in a conspiracy to traffic large amounts of heroin, crack cocaine, and prescription pills in Marion, Ohio.
The unsealing of the 72-count indictment was announced today by Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio; Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine; Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Field Office; Marion Police Major William Collins; Marion County Sheriff Tim Bailey; and Marion County Prosecutor Brent Yager.
The indictment details a two-year conspiracy in which heroin, crack cocaine, Percocet, Ritalin, Xanaxm and Vicodin were brought from Detroit and Fort Wayne, Indiana to Marion, where the drugs were sold to dozens of people, including juveniles.
Indicted are: Allen Graves, 46, of Detroit; Martez Montgomery, 22, of Detroit; Terrance Lombard, 39, of Eastpoint, Michigan; Edward Hearn, 40, of Detroit; Darryl McFadden, 53, of Detroit; Jeronne White, 33, of Marion; Christopher Prince, 20, of Detroit; Danni Childers, 21, of Marion; DeCarlos Bates, 21, of Hamtramck, Michigan; DeVonta Adams, 21, of Detroit; Jason Graves, 22, of Detroit; Marniece Love, 22, of Hazel Park, Michigan; Brittany Payne, 19, of Marion; Marcus Benson, 34, of Harper Woods, Michigan; Greg Burkett, 56, of Marion; Darrell Jacobs, 38, of Caledonia, Ohio; Danielle Sullivan, 23, of Marion; Steven Lester, 48, of Marion, and Abbee Heine, 20, of Marion.
“Our state has been flooded with heroin and diverted prescription pills, which have been accompanied by a wave of death and addiction,” Dettelbach said. “These arrests represent a joint law enforcement effort to choke off the supply of drugs to our region.”
Anthony said: “This interstate drug trafficking organization brought danger and violence to the community through multiple shootings, overdoses and continued addiction for citizens in Marion. The FBI, along with the numerous agencies that brought this group to justice, will continue collaborative efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute drug traffickers.”
“MARMET’s battles with traffickers from Detroit have been well documented,” said Marion Police Major William Collins. “We want this to be an example for other trafficking organizations that if they choose Marion as the place to peddle their poison, they will do real prison time.”
“Drug abuse devastates lives and tears apart families, and the individuals who are now facing charges have played a direct role in fueling addiction,” said Attorney General DeWine. “We are proud to have assisted with this case through the work of our BCI crime lab, and we will continue to work together in the future to prevent drug abuse and trafficking in this state.”
Marion County Sheriff Tim Bailey said: “Drugs come into our community through many means and it takes and will continue to take resources from all agencies to continue the fight against the drug problem and other crimes in our community to help keep our residents and future residents of our community safe.”
Montgomery and Graves obtained heroin, crack cocaine, and prescription drugs from Lombard, Hearn, Benson, McFadden, and other suppliers in Detroit and Fort Wayne. They also recruited friends and family members in Detroit to travel to Marion to distribute the drugs, according to the indictment.
Montgomery and Graves, with the assistance of Heine, rented homes in Heine’s name at 438 1/2 North Prospect Street and 323 Mound Street in Marion for the purpose of distributing heroin, crack cocaine, and prescription drugs. Childers also rented the house at 238 Park Boulevard in Marion for the purpose of distributing the drugs, according to the indictment.
Lester, as part of the conspiracy, allowed Graves and Montgomery to register vehicles in his name to avoid suspicion of law enforcement. Lester also routinely drove Graves from Marion to Detroit and back to transport drugs and drug proceeds, according to the indictment.
Prince, White, Bates, Adams, Love, Jason Graves, a juvenile, and others also shared a “community telephone” which they all used to communicate with drug customers and suppliers, according to the indictment.
Prince, White, Bates, Adams, Love, Jason Graves, Lester, a juvenile, and others shared and used residences rented by Allen Graves, Montgomery, Heine, and Childers for the purpose of storing and distributing heroin, crack cocaine, and prescription drugs, according to the indictment.
The indictment goes on to detail scores of transactions, phone calls and other actions related to their sale and distribution of drugs.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland, Detroit, and Indianapolis Field Offices, the MARMET Drug Task Force (composed of members of the Marion Police Department, and Marion County Sheriff’s Office), the METRICH Drug Task Force, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph M. Pinjuh and Alissa Sterling.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
The unsealing of the 72-count indictment was announced today by Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio; Ohio Attorney General Mike DeWine; Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Field Office; Marion Police Major William Collins; Marion County Sheriff Tim Bailey; and Marion County Prosecutor Brent Yager.
The indictment details a two-year conspiracy in which heroin, crack cocaine, Percocet, Ritalin, Xanaxm and Vicodin were brought from Detroit and Fort Wayne, Indiana to Marion, where the drugs were sold to dozens of people, including juveniles.
Indicted are: Allen Graves, 46, of Detroit; Martez Montgomery, 22, of Detroit; Terrance Lombard, 39, of Eastpoint, Michigan; Edward Hearn, 40, of Detroit; Darryl McFadden, 53, of Detroit; Jeronne White, 33, of Marion; Christopher Prince, 20, of Detroit; Danni Childers, 21, of Marion; DeCarlos Bates, 21, of Hamtramck, Michigan; DeVonta Adams, 21, of Detroit; Jason Graves, 22, of Detroit; Marniece Love, 22, of Hazel Park, Michigan; Brittany Payne, 19, of Marion; Marcus Benson, 34, of Harper Woods, Michigan; Greg Burkett, 56, of Marion; Darrell Jacobs, 38, of Caledonia, Ohio; Danielle Sullivan, 23, of Marion; Steven Lester, 48, of Marion, and Abbee Heine, 20, of Marion.
“Our state has been flooded with heroin and diverted prescription pills, which have been accompanied by a wave of death and addiction,” Dettelbach said. “These arrests represent a joint law enforcement effort to choke off the supply of drugs to our region.”
Anthony said: “This interstate drug trafficking organization brought danger and violence to the community through multiple shootings, overdoses and continued addiction for citizens in Marion. The FBI, along with the numerous agencies that brought this group to justice, will continue collaborative efforts to disrupt, dismantle, and prosecute drug traffickers.”
“MARMET’s battles with traffickers from Detroit have been well documented,” said Marion Police Major William Collins. “We want this to be an example for other trafficking organizations that if they choose Marion as the place to peddle their poison, they will do real prison time.”
“Drug abuse devastates lives and tears apart families, and the individuals who are now facing charges have played a direct role in fueling addiction,” said Attorney General DeWine. “We are proud to have assisted with this case through the work of our BCI crime lab, and we will continue to work together in the future to prevent drug abuse and trafficking in this state.”
Marion County Sheriff Tim Bailey said: “Drugs come into our community through many means and it takes and will continue to take resources from all agencies to continue the fight against the drug problem and other crimes in our community to help keep our residents and future residents of our community safe.”
Montgomery and Graves obtained heroin, crack cocaine, and prescription drugs from Lombard, Hearn, Benson, McFadden, and other suppliers in Detroit and Fort Wayne. They also recruited friends and family members in Detroit to travel to Marion to distribute the drugs, according to the indictment.
Montgomery and Graves, with the assistance of Heine, rented homes in Heine’s name at 438 1/2 North Prospect Street and 323 Mound Street in Marion for the purpose of distributing heroin, crack cocaine, and prescription drugs. Childers also rented the house at 238 Park Boulevard in Marion for the purpose of distributing the drugs, according to the indictment.
Lester, as part of the conspiracy, allowed Graves and Montgomery to register vehicles in his name to avoid suspicion of law enforcement. Lester also routinely drove Graves from Marion to Detroit and back to transport drugs and drug proceeds, according to the indictment.
Prince, White, Bates, Adams, Love, Jason Graves, a juvenile, and others also shared a “community telephone” which they all used to communicate with drug customers and suppliers, according to the indictment.
Prince, White, Bates, Adams, Love, Jason Graves, Lester, a juvenile, and others shared and used residences rented by Allen Graves, Montgomery, Heine, and Childers for the purpose of storing and distributing heroin, crack cocaine, and prescription drugs, according to the indictment.
The indictment goes on to detail scores of transactions, phone calls and other actions related to their sale and distribution of drugs.
This case is the result of an investigation by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland, Detroit, and Indianapolis Field Offices, the MARMET Drug Task Force (composed of members of the Marion Police Department, and Marion County Sheriff’s Office), the METRICH Drug Task Force, the Ohio Attorney General’s Office, the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Ohio State Highway Patrol. It is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Joseph M. Pinjuh and Alissa Sterling.
An indictment is only a charge and is not evidence of guilt. The defendant is entitled to a fair trial in which it will be the government’s burden to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
Former Puerto Rico Correctional Officer Sentenced in Scheme to Smuggle Heroin into State Prison
A former correctional officer at the Puerto Rico Department of Corrections was sentenced to serve 37 months in prison for attempting to smuggle heroin into the prison where he worked, Bayamón State Penitentiary, in exchange for a $3,000 payment.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez of the District of Puerto Rico made the announcement.
Luis Lebron-Lebron, 38, of Maunabo, Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty on October 29, 2013, to a one-count indictment charging him with attempt to distribute a controlled substance. Lebron-Lebron was sentenced by U.S. District Judge José A. Fusté .
On September 9 and 10, 2010, Lebron agreed to introduce 1/8 of a kilogram of heroin to an inmate at the Bayamón State Penitentiary, where Lebron worked as a correctional officer. Lebron was paid $3,000 to make that delivery. On September 10, 2010, Lebron met with an undercover agent whom he believed was a drug dealer and was given what he believed to be 1/8 of a kilogram of heroin. He delivered the purported heroin to an inmate in the prison that same day.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s San Juan Division. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Menaka Kalaskar of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hector Ramirez-Carbó of the District of Puerto Rico.
Acting Assistant Attorney General Mythili Raman of the Justice Department’s Criminal Division and U.S. Attorney Rosa Emilia Rodríguez-Vélez of the District of Puerto Rico made the announcement.
Luis Lebron-Lebron, 38, of Maunabo, Puerto Rico, pleaded guilty on October 29, 2013, to a one-count indictment charging him with attempt to distribute a controlled substance. Lebron-Lebron was sentenced by U.S. District Judge José A. Fusté .
On September 9 and 10, 2010, Lebron agreed to introduce 1/8 of a kilogram of heroin to an inmate at the Bayamón State Penitentiary, where Lebron worked as a correctional officer. Lebron was paid $3,000 to make that delivery. On September 10, 2010, Lebron met with an undercover agent whom he believed was a drug dealer and was given what he believed to be 1/8 of a kilogram of heroin. He delivered the purported heroin to an inmate in the prison that same day.
The case was investigated by the FBI’s San Juan Division. The case was prosecuted by Trial Attorney Menaka Kalaskar of the Criminal Division’s Public Integrity Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Hector Ramirez-Carbó of the District of Puerto Rico.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Authorities bust alleged heroin distributors in Berkeley Township
BERKELEY TOWNSHIP - Authorities say they have busted a heroin distribution scheme that was based out of a retirement community in Berkeley Township.
Investigators say the bust yielded $4,000 worth of heroin and the arrests of two alleged dealers in the Holiday City development community.
Prosecutors say Valerie Sorensen was storing the drugs in her home within the community.
READ MORE: New Jersey Crime Stories
Sorensen and Albert Dross, who is also suspected to be involved in the drug ring, are charged with possesion and intent to distribute.
Investigators say the bust yielded $4,000 worth of heroin and the arrests of two alleged dealers in the Holiday City development community.
Prosecutors say Valerie Sorensen was storing the drugs in her home within the community.
READ MORE: New Jersey Crime Stories
Sorensen and Albert Dross, who is also suspected to be involved in the drug ring, are charged with possesion and intent to distribute.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Hartford Woman Sentenced to 20 Months in Prison for Role in Heroin Trafficking Ring
Deirdre M. Daly, United States Attorney for the District of Connecticut, today announced that Norma Torres, 56, of Hartford, was sentenced yesterday by U.S. District Judge Michael P. Shea in Hartford to 20 months of imprisonment, followed by three years of supervised release, for her role in a heroin trafficking ring.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from Operation Solid Sweep, a joint law enforcement investigation headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department into gang-related narcotics trafficking in Hartford’s South End. The investigation specifically targeted a drug trafficking organization headed by Angel Rosa, also known as “Little” and “Daddy,” who is a member of the Los Solidos street gang. Rosa’s cousin, Angel Rosa, also known as “Mo Betta” and “Fab,” supervised the daily operations of the organization, which distributed heroin and other narcotics in the Zion Street area.
As a result of the investigation, 21 individuals were charged with various federal offenses, and law enforcement officers seized narcotics, one firearm, approximately $230,000 in cash, eight vehicles, and jewelry.
The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics, and physical surveillance, revealed that Torres assisted the conspiracy by allowing her apartment, located at 592 Zion Street, to be used as a “stash house,” storing five to 15 stacks of heroin at her residence every day. A stack of heroin consists of 100 dose bags, with each bag containing approximately .025 grams of heroin.
Torres was arrested on April 11, 2013. On November 14, 2013, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin.
Angel Rosa, aka “Little” and “Daddy,” and Angel Rosa, aka “Mo Betta” and “Fab,” have each pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes members of the Connecticut State Police, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut Department of Correction, and Connecticut National Guard. The Connecticut State Police’s Emergency Services Unit; Hartford Police Department’s Emergency Response Team; Capital Region Emergency Response Team; Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; and the New Britain, East Hartford, Wethersfield, and Manchester Police Departments have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Leaming and Patrick Caruso.
According to court documents and statements made in court, this matter stems from Operation Solid Sweep, a joint law enforcement investigation headed by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force and the Hartford Police Department into gang-related narcotics trafficking in Hartford’s South End. The investigation specifically targeted a drug trafficking organization headed by Angel Rosa, also known as “Little” and “Daddy,” who is a member of the Los Solidos street gang. Rosa’s cousin, Angel Rosa, also known as “Mo Betta” and “Fab,” supervised the daily operations of the organization, which distributed heroin and other narcotics in the Zion Street area.
As a result of the investigation, 21 individuals were charged with various federal offenses, and law enforcement officers seized narcotics, one firearm, approximately $230,000 in cash, eight vehicles, and jewelry.
The investigation, which included the use of court-authorized wiretaps, controlled purchases of narcotics, and physical surveillance, revealed that Torres assisted the conspiracy by allowing her apartment, located at 592 Zion Street, to be used as a “stash house,” storing five to 15 stacks of heroin at her residence every day. A stack of heroin consists of 100 dose bags, with each bag containing approximately .025 grams of heroin.
Torres was arrested on April 11, 2013. On November 14, 2013, she pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and to distribute heroin.
Angel Rosa, aka “Little” and “Daddy,” and Angel Rosa, aka “Mo Betta” and “Fab,” have each pleaded guilty and await sentencing.
This matter is being investigated by the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Northern Connecticut Violent Crimes Task Force, which includes members of the Connecticut State Police, Hartford Police Department, East Hartford Police Department, Connecticut Department of Correction, and Connecticut National Guard. The Connecticut State Police’s Emergency Services Unit; Hartford Police Department’s Emergency Response Team; Capital Region Emergency Response Team; Drug Enforcement Administration; Homeland Security Investigations; and the New Britain, East Hartford, Wethersfield, and Manchester Police Departments have provided valuable assistance to the investigation.
The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Brian Leaming and Patrick Caruso.
Monday, December 16, 2013
Thirteen Men Indicted in Drug Conspiracy Case, Accused of Distributing Heroin and Cocaine in Washington Area
WASHINGTON—Eleven men have been arrested on federal charges stemming from an ongoing investigation into a drug trafficking organization that distributed large amounts of heroin and cocaine in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. To date, over 3.5 kilograms of cocaine and over two kilograms of heroin have been seized as a result of the investigation, along with more than $68,000 in cash and at least five firearms. Two men remain at large.
The arrests, on December 12, 2013, followed the return of an indictment by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They were announced today by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen, Jr.; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The arrests came as authorities executed 26 search warrants on December 12, 2013, in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Several firearms, cocaine and heroin, jewelry worth over $60,000, and thousands in cash were seized during the law enforcement activities. Also recovered from within one residence was evidence of an apparent identity theft operation involving hundreds of credit cards, Social Security cards, and driver’s licenses.
The indictment also includes a forfeiture count against all of those now charged in the investigation, which seeks all proceeds from the crimes. All 11 defendants made their first court appearances this week and are being held without bond pending detention hearings.
“This investigation shows our resolve to target organizations that are bringing cocaine, heroin, and other dangerous drugs into the District of Columbia,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Law enforcement was able to remove guns, drugs, and dangerous people from the streets and take another step toward making our community safer.”
“These arrests are a result of the concentrated efforts by special agents and detectives from the FBI Washington, Baltimore, and Los Angeles Field Offices and MPD and Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department who partner together to disrupt and dismantle drug networks that threaten our neighborhoods,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Together, we are focused on stopping the movement and sale of drugs on our streets and we will bring those who profit from it to justice.”
“This investigation spanned the region including Washington, D.C.; Prince George’s County, Maryland; Baltimore; and Stafford, Virginia,” said Police Chief Lanier. “This is a great example of us working with our federal partners to arrest those who supply our neighborhoods with illicit drugs.”
The charges arose from a year-long investigation by the FBI into people suspected of acting as wholesale distributors of heroin and cocaine in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The investigation determined that from at least January 2013 through November 2013, the defendants maintained a drug trafficking organization that supplied distribution amounts of heroin and cocaine to drug dealers in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. During the course of the investigation, agents seized three separate packages found to contain large quantities of both heroin and cocaine, which had been shipped or were destined to arrive in the Washington, D.C. area from sources located in California.
Those arrested include Lester Pryor, 62, of Washington, D.C., who is alleged to have supplied cocaine and heroin to the other defendants named in the indictment. The others include Patrick Avent, 45, of Stafford, Virginia; George Ball, 65, of Washington, D.C.; Brandon Beale, 58, of Washington, D.C.; Aubrey Bennett, 61, of Washington, D.C.; James Burkley, 59, of Washington, D.C; Anthony McDuffie, 50, of Washington, D.C.; Chris Merriweather, 47, of Washington, D.C.; Earl Owens, 56, of Bowie, Maryland; Tyrone Payton, 55, of Temple Hills, Maryland; and Kevin Whitman, 54, of Washington, D.C.
The prosecution grew out of the efforts of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a multi-agency team that conducts comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the nationwide program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave and Chief Lanier commended the work of the agents at the FBI, Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service who investigated the case. They also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Maryland, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the Central District of California; the FBI’s Baltimore and Los Angeles Divisions; MPD and the Prince George’s County Police and Sheriff’s Departments, which provided assistance. Finally they, cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven B. Wasserman, Anthony Scarpelli, Jin Park, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia A. Stewart.
The arrests, on December 12, 2013, followed the return of an indictment by a grand jury in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. They were announced today by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen, Jr.; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The arrests came as authorities executed 26 search warrants on December 12, 2013, in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. Several firearms, cocaine and heroin, jewelry worth over $60,000, and thousands in cash were seized during the law enforcement activities. Also recovered from within one residence was evidence of an apparent identity theft operation involving hundreds of credit cards, Social Security cards, and driver’s licenses.
The indictment also includes a forfeiture count against all of those now charged in the investigation, which seeks all proceeds from the crimes. All 11 defendants made their first court appearances this week and are being held without bond pending detention hearings.
“This investigation shows our resolve to target organizations that are bringing cocaine, heroin, and other dangerous drugs into the District of Columbia,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “Law enforcement was able to remove guns, drugs, and dangerous people from the streets and take another step toward making our community safer.”
“These arrests are a result of the concentrated efforts by special agents and detectives from the FBI Washington, Baltimore, and Los Angeles Field Offices and MPD and Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department who partner together to disrupt and dismantle drug networks that threaten our neighborhoods,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Together, we are focused on stopping the movement and sale of drugs on our streets and we will bring those who profit from it to justice.”
“This investigation spanned the region including Washington, D.C.; Prince George’s County, Maryland; Baltimore; and Stafford, Virginia,” said Police Chief Lanier. “This is a great example of us working with our federal partners to arrest those who supply our neighborhoods with illicit drugs.”
The charges arose from a year-long investigation by the FBI into people suspected of acting as wholesale distributors of heroin and cocaine in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. The investigation determined that from at least January 2013 through November 2013, the defendants maintained a drug trafficking organization that supplied distribution amounts of heroin and cocaine to drug dealers in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Virginia. During the course of the investigation, agents seized three separate packages found to contain large quantities of both heroin and cocaine, which had been shipped or were destined to arrive in the Washington, D.C. area from sources located in California.
Those arrested include Lester Pryor, 62, of Washington, D.C., who is alleged to have supplied cocaine and heroin to the other defendants named in the indictment. The others include Patrick Avent, 45, of Stafford, Virginia; George Ball, 65, of Washington, D.C.; Brandon Beale, 58, of Washington, D.C.; Aubrey Bennett, 61, of Washington, D.C.; James Burkley, 59, of Washington, D.C; Anthony McDuffie, 50, of Washington, D.C.; Chris Merriweather, 47, of Washington, D.C.; Earl Owens, 56, of Bowie, Maryland; Tyrone Payton, 55, of Temple Hills, Maryland; and Kevin Whitman, 54, of Washington, D.C.
The prosecution grew out of the efforts of the federal Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, a multi-agency team that conducts comprehensive, multi-level attacks on major drug trafficking and money laundering organizations. The principal mission of the nationwide program is to identify, disrupt, and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking and money laundering organizations and those primarily responsible for the nation’s drug supply.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
In announcing the charges, U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave and Chief Lanier commended the work of the agents at the FBI, Internal Revenue Service- Criminal Investigation, and the U.S. Postal Inspection Service who investigated the case. They also thanked the U.S. Attorney’s Offices for the District of Maryland, the Eastern District of Virginia, and the Central District of California; the FBI’s Baltimore and Los Angeles Divisions; MPD and the Prince George’s County Police and Sheriff’s Departments, which provided assistance. Finally they, cited the efforts of those who worked on the case from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Assistant U.S. Attorneys Steven B. Wasserman, Anthony Scarpelli, Jin Park, and former Assistant U.S. Attorney Patricia A. Stewart.
Wednesday, December 11, 2013
Monroeville Man Pleads Guilty to Role in Violent Heroin Trafficking Conspiracy
PITTSBURGH—A Monroeville man pleaded guilty in federal court to federal firearms and drug trafficking charges, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Antonio Hardin, 32, of 1315 Foxboro Drive, Monroeville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from April 2012 to February 2013, Hardin conspired with his charged co-defendants Brandon Thompson, James Walker, Richard Wood, Gregory Harris, Jr., Luther Harper, and others to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute heroin. Those co-defendants have pleaded not guilty, and the charges are still pending against them.
Specifically, the court learned, for example, that in April, 2012, Hardin received heroin from co-conspirator Brandon Thompson. Hardin then supplied this heroin to an uncharged co-conspirator who was later shot by Thompson and Edward Cook at Club Pink in Munhall, Pennsylvania, on or about August 12, 2012. Cook has pleaded guilty to this shooting, and he was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment. The Ccourt also learned that Hardin, acting together with Brandon Thompson, James Walker, and Joseph Thompson, shared a heroin “stash house” with them in Pitcairn, Pennsylvania, at which these persons packaged raw heroin into stamp bags that would later be sold on to other dealers and eventually to individual users. In addition, the court learned that Hardin, over the course of the conspiracy, sold heroin to other charged distributors, including Richard Wood, Gregory Harris, Jr., and Luther Harper. The court heard intercepts of a call in which Luther Harper and Bryce Harper discussed purchasing 25 brick quantities (40 gram quantities) of heroin from Hardin that the Harpers then planned to distribute to individual users.
Last, Hardin acknowledged that during his drug trafficking crimes, he possessed a firearm, including a 9mm Glock, to protect himself and to protect his drugs. Specifically, Hardin carried a firearm during his drug trafficking crimes. As a result, Hardin possessed a firearm in furtherance of the abovementioned drug trafficking crimes.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for April 30, 2013. The law provides for a total sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of up to $5,250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric S. Rosen is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General; City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police; Pennsylvania State Police; Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office; McKeesport Police Department; Munhall Police Department; and the West Homestead Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Antonio Hardin
Antonio Hardin, 32, of 1315 Foxboro Drive, Monroeville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to two counts before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from April 2012 to February 2013, Hardin conspired with his charged co-defendants Brandon Thompson, James Walker, Richard Wood, Gregory Harris, Jr., Luther Harper, and others to possess with the intent to distribute and distribute heroin. Those co-defendants have pleaded not guilty, and the charges are still pending against them.
Specifically, the court learned, for example, that in April, 2012, Hardin received heroin from co-conspirator Brandon Thompson. Hardin then supplied this heroin to an uncharged co-conspirator who was later shot by Thompson and Edward Cook at Club Pink in Munhall, Pennsylvania, on or about August 12, 2012. Cook has pleaded guilty to this shooting, and he was sentenced to 12 years’ imprisonment. The Ccourt also learned that Hardin, acting together with Brandon Thompson, James Walker, and Joseph Thompson, shared a heroin “stash house” with them in Pitcairn, Pennsylvania, at which these persons packaged raw heroin into stamp bags that would later be sold on to other dealers and eventually to individual users. In addition, the court learned that Hardin, over the course of the conspiracy, sold heroin to other charged distributors, including Richard Wood, Gregory Harris, Jr., and Luther Harper. The court heard intercepts of a call in which Luther Harper and Bryce Harper discussed purchasing 25 brick quantities (40 gram quantities) of heroin from Hardin that the Harpers then planned to distribute to individual users.
Last, Hardin acknowledged that during his drug trafficking crimes, he possessed a firearm, including a 9mm Glock, to protect himself and to protect his drugs. Specifically, Hardin carried a firearm during his drug trafficking crimes. As a result, Hardin possessed a firearm in furtherance of the abovementioned drug trafficking crimes.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for April 30, 2013. The law provides for a total sentence of up to life in prison, a fine of up to $5,250,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric S. Rosen is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General; City of Pittsburgh Bureau of Police; Pennsylvania State Police; Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office; McKeesport Police Department; Munhall Police Department; and the West Homestead Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Antonio Hardin
Friday, December 6, 2013
Judge Sentences Heroin Dealer to 10 Years in Federal Prison
PITTSBURGH—A Pittsburgh resident has been sentenced in federal court to 120 months’ imprisonment, followed by eight years’ supervised release, on his conviction of violating federal narcotics laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Donald Lyles, a/k/a Chief, 39, of 1417 Princeton Blvd, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, on or about April 25, 2013, Lyles possessed with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance.
Assistant United States Attorney Charles A. Eberle prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lyles.
United States District Judge David S. Cercone imposed the sentence on Donald Lyles, a/k/a Chief, 39, of 1417 Princeton Blvd, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania.
According to information presented to the court, on or about April 25, 2013, Lyles possessed with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of a mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance.
Assistant United States Attorney Charles A. Eberle prosecuted this case on behalf of the government.
U.S. Attorney Hickton commended the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and the Pennsylvania State Police for the investigation leading to the successful prosecution of Lyles.
Homestead Man Conspired to Distribute Heroin
PITTSBURGH—A Homestead resident pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of violating federal narcotic laws, United States Attorney David J. Hickton announced today.
Hakeem Kirby, 21, of 154 West 15th Avenue, Homestead, Pennsylvania, 15120, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from in and around May 2012 and continuing thereafter to in and around March 2013, in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere, Kirby conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for April 24, 2014. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a fine of not more than $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric S. Rosen is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General; City of Pittsburgh Police Department; Pennsylvania State Police; Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office; McKeesport Police Department; Munhall Police Department; and the West Homestead Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Hakeem Kirby.
Hakeem Kirby, 21, of 154 West 15th Avenue, Homestead, Pennsylvania, 15120, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge Cathy Bissoon.
In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that from in and around May 2012 and continuing thereafter to in and around March 2013, in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere, Kirby conspired to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, a Schedule I controlled substance.
Judge Bissoon scheduled sentencing for April 24, 2014. The law provides for a total sentence of up to 40 years in prison, a fine of not more than $10,000,000, or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed is based upon the seriousness of the offense and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendant.
Assistant United States Attorney Eric S. Rosen is prosecuting this case on behalf of the government.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives; Pennsylvania Office of the Attorney General; City of Pittsburgh Police Department; Pennsylvania State Police; Allegheny County Sheriff’s Office; McKeesport Police Department; Munhall Police Department; and the West Homestead Police Department conducted the investigation that led to the prosecution of Hakeem Kirby.
Thursday, November 21, 2013
Twenty-Six People Charged in Drug Conspiracy, Accused of Distributing Heroin, Cocaine, and Marijuana
WASHINGTON—Seventeen people were arrested today following their indictments on federal charges in connection with an ongoing investigation by the FBI/Metropolitan Police Department Safe Streets Task Force into a network that trafficked heroin, cocaine, and marijuana from Texas to the Washington, D.C. area. The drugs were then distributed in the Washington, D.C. area.
In addition to the arrests today, in the Washington, D.C. area, two defendants already were in custody. Seven others were apprehended in McAllen, Texas, on November 18, 2013.
The arrests and charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen, Jr.; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The defendants are among those named in two indictments returned on November 7, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The indictments, partially unsealed, charge the defendants with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. Some of the defendants also are charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Both indictments also include a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds derived from the crimes, as well as assets used to commit the offenses. If convicted, the defendants face a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD were joined in the law enforcement action this week by the FBI San Antonio Field Office’s McAllen Resident Agency; the U.S. Park Police; the U.S. Marshals Service; the U.S. Bureau of Prisons; the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department; the Hidalgo County, Texas Sheriff’s Office; and the San Juan, Texas Police Department.
A total of 17 locations and four vehicles were searched today in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Authorities seized 18 guns, heroin, PCP, and cash.
The indictments allege that the defendants conspired to carry out the drug operation from October 2012 through October of this year, when it was broken up by law enforcement. The network allegedly operated in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Texas.
“These indictments were designed to dismantle a drug ring that trafficked heroin and cocaine from Texas into the District of Columbia,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “We all owe a debt of gratitude to the more than 200 agents and officers whose courage today resulted in 17 arrests and the seizure of more than a dozen firearms and heroin and PCP. The District of Columbia is a safer place today with these guns and drugs off the street.”
“The arrests that were carried out this week in the Washington, D.C. region and in Texas once again show that we will not tolerate drug dealers who attempt to root their network within our communities and afflict our neighborhoods with their illegal trade,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Along with our partners on the Safe Streets Task Force, the FBI is focused on pursuing those who pose a threat to our communities through the sale of illegal drugs.”
“These are significant arrests, and the volume of drugs and weapons seized highlight the potentially devastating impact this criminal enterprise had on the D.C. metropolitan area and various communities across the country,” said Chief Lanier. “The Metropolitan Police Department along with our local and federal law enforcement partners continue to work together to make our communities safer by locating and disrupting criminal organizations intent on wreaking havoc on our neighborhoods for their own personal gain. We are sending a message to criminals nationwide that we will find you and arrest you.”
A total of 12 men and five women were arrested in the area today.
Those arrested in the Washington, D.C. area include several members of one family: Juan Floyd, 45, of Temple Hills, Maryland, an alleged leader of the enterprise; his brother, John Floyd, 51, of Washington, D.C.; and his daughter, Juanita N. Culbreth, 27, of Oxon Hill, Maryland.
Others arrested today include: Lisa Adona, 50, of Fort Washington, Maryland; Rodney Kirk Carter, 50, of Washington, D.C.; Derek L. Gadsden, 54, of Washington, D.C.; Donald Johnson, 51, of Washington, D.C.; Mike Johnson, 30, of Deale, Maryland; Albert P. Jones, 44, of Temple Hills, Maryland; Vincent J. Jones, 45, of Washington, D.C.; Roxanne Matthews-Baker, 47, of Washington, D.C.; Maurice P. Mercer, 38, of Washington, D.C.; Lawrence E. Proctor, 54, of Washington, D.C.; Darnell S. Rogers, 50, of Fort Washington, Maryland; Bruce Settles, 48, of Washington, D.C.; Delshawn A. Wrice, 53, of Washington, D.C., and Jeri Wright, 60, of Suitland, Maryland.
Jeffrey Coachman, 39, and Gary Price, 47, already were in custody.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This prosecution grew out of a long-term FBI/MPD alliance called the Safe Streets Task Force that targets violent drug trafficking gangs in the District of Columbia. The Safe Streets Initiative is funded in part by the Baltimore Washington High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, as well as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The initiative involves more than 150 Safe Streets Task Forces across the country that combat street gangs by combining federal, state and local police resources. The task forces, which began in 1992 in Los Angeles and the District of Columbia, address gang activity, including drug-related crimes.
U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Chief Lanier thanked those who pursued the investigation from the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force and other agencies. They also expressed appreciation to the Prince George’s County Police Department, the U.S. Park Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Maryland State Police, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the McAllen Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, for their assistance in the investigation.
Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the investigation from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Catherine O’Neal, Jeannette Litz, Reagan Gibson, Rommel Pachoca, Teesha Tobias, Kim Hall, Niya Attucks, and Mary Downing and Legal Assistants Priscilla Hutson and Jessica Moffatt.
They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karla-Dee Clark and Thomas A. Gillice, who are prosecuting the case; Assistant U.S. Attorney Zia Faruqui of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, who is assisting with the forfeiture action; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Debra Long-Doyle and Suzanne Clement Libby, who assisted with the investigation and prosecution.
In addition to the arrests today, in the Washington, D.C. area, two defendants already were in custody. Seven others were apprehended in McAllen, Texas, on November 18, 2013.
The arrests and charges were announced by U.S. Attorney Ronald C. Machen, Jr.; Valerie Parlave, Assistant Director in Charge of the FBI’s Washington Field Office; and Cathy L. Lanier, Chief of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD).
The defendants are among those named in two indictments returned on November 7, 2013, in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia. The indictments, partially unsealed, charge the defendants with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine, and marijuana. Some of the defendants also are charged with conspiracy to launder monetary instruments. Both indictments also include a forfeiture allegation seeking all proceeds derived from the crimes, as well as assets used to commit the offenses. If convicted, the defendants face a minimum of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison.
The FBI’s Washington Field Office and MPD were joined in the law enforcement action this week by the FBI San Antonio Field Office’s McAllen Resident Agency; the U.S. Park Police; the U.S. Marshals Service; the U.S. Bureau of Prisons; the Prince George’s County, Maryland Police Department; the Hidalgo County, Texas Sheriff’s Office; and the San Juan, Texas Police Department.
A total of 17 locations and four vehicles were searched today in the District of Columbia and Maryland. Authorities seized 18 guns, heroin, PCP, and cash.
The indictments allege that the defendants conspired to carry out the drug operation from October 2012 through October of this year, when it was broken up by law enforcement. The network allegedly operated in the District of Columbia, Maryland, and Texas.
“These indictments were designed to dismantle a drug ring that trafficked heroin and cocaine from Texas into the District of Columbia,” said U.S. Attorney Machen. “We all owe a debt of gratitude to the more than 200 agents and officers whose courage today resulted in 17 arrests and the seizure of more than a dozen firearms and heroin and PCP. The District of Columbia is a safer place today with these guns and drugs off the street.”
“The arrests that were carried out this week in the Washington, D.C. region and in Texas once again show that we will not tolerate drug dealers who attempt to root their network within our communities and afflict our neighborhoods with their illegal trade,” said Assistant Director in Charge Parlave. “Along with our partners on the Safe Streets Task Force, the FBI is focused on pursuing those who pose a threat to our communities through the sale of illegal drugs.”
“These are significant arrests, and the volume of drugs and weapons seized highlight the potentially devastating impact this criminal enterprise had on the D.C. metropolitan area and various communities across the country,” said Chief Lanier. “The Metropolitan Police Department along with our local and federal law enforcement partners continue to work together to make our communities safer by locating and disrupting criminal organizations intent on wreaking havoc on our neighborhoods for their own personal gain. We are sending a message to criminals nationwide that we will find you and arrest you.”
A total of 12 men and five women were arrested in the area today.
Those arrested in the Washington, D.C. area include several members of one family: Juan Floyd, 45, of Temple Hills, Maryland, an alleged leader of the enterprise; his brother, John Floyd, 51, of Washington, D.C.; and his daughter, Juanita N. Culbreth, 27, of Oxon Hill, Maryland.
Others arrested today include: Lisa Adona, 50, of Fort Washington, Maryland; Rodney Kirk Carter, 50, of Washington, D.C.; Derek L. Gadsden, 54, of Washington, D.C.; Donald Johnson, 51, of Washington, D.C.; Mike Johnson, 30, of Deale, Maryland; Albert P. Jones, 44, of Temple Hills, Maryland; Vincent J. Jones, 45, of Washington, D.C.; Roxanne Matthews-Baker, 47, of Washington, D.C.; Maurice P. Mercer, 38, of Washington, D.C.; Lawrence E. Proctor, 54, of Washington, D.C.; Darnell S. Rogers, 50, of Fort Washington, Maryland; Bruce Settles, 48, of Washington, D.C.; Delshawn A. Wrice, 53, of Washington, D.C., and Jeri Wright, 60, of Suitland, Maryland.
Jeffrey Coachman, 39, and Gary Price, 47, already were in custody.
An indictment is merely a formal charge that a defendant has committed a violation of criminal law and is not evidence of guilt. Every defendant is presumed innocent until, and unless, proven guilty.
This prosecution grew out of a long-term FBI/MPD alliance called the Safe Streets Task Force that targets violent drug trafficking gangs in the District of Columbia. The Safe Streets Initiative is funded in part by the Baltimore Washington High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area, as well as the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force. The initiative involves more than 150 Safe Streets Task Forces across the country that combat street gangs by combining federal, state and local police resources. The task forces, which began in 1992 in Los Angeles and the District of Columbia, address gang activity, including drug-related crimes.
U.S. Attorney Machen, Assistant Director in Charge Parlave, and Chief Lanier thanked those who pursued the investigation from the FBI/MPD Safe Streets Task Force and other agencies. They also expressed appreciation to the Prince George’s County Police Department, the U.S. Park Police, the U.S. Marshals Service, and the Maryland State Police, as well as the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Maryland and the McAllen Division of the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Texas, for their assistance in the investigation.
Finally, they acknowledged the efforts of those who worked on the investigation from the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Columbia, including Paralegal Specialists Catherine O’Neal, Jeannette Litz, Reagan Gibson, Rommel Pachoca, Teesha Tobias, Kim Hall, Niya Attucks, and Mary Downing and Legal Assistants Priscilla Hutson and Jessica Moffatt.
They also commended the work of Assistant U.S. Attorneys Karla-Dee Clark and Thomas A. Gillice, who are prosecuting the case; Assistant U.S. Attorney Zia Faruqui of the Asset Forfeiture and Money Laundering Section, who is assisting with the forfeiture action; and Assistant U.S. Attorneys Debra Long-Doyle and Suzanne Clement Libby, who assisted with the investigation and prosecution.
Wednesday, November 20, 2013
Fourteen Charged with Kilogram-Quantity Heroin Trafficking in City of Middletown
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; George Venizelos, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); Ramon Bethencourt, Jr., the Chief of the City of Middletown Police Department; and Joseph A. D’Amico, the Superintendent of the New York State Police, announced the arrest of 14 defendants and the unsealing of an indictment charging a conspiracy to distribute kilogram quantities of heroin in and around Middletown, New York.
U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated, “This case is yet another example of this office’s unrelenting efforts at purging the Hudson Valley of alleged violent drug trafficking gangs through the coordinated efforts of the FBI and our state and local law enforcement partners.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos stated, “The arrests today target individuals who allegedly were involved in moving heroin into Middletown. These types of crimes are all too common in this area and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force will continue to work with our partners to eradicate violent gangs and drugs in our communities.”
Middletown Police Department Chief Ramon Bethencourt, Jr. stated, “Along with Mayor DeStefano, I want to praise the work of all of the law enforcement agencies involved. Once again our commitment to working together will have a positive influence on the quality of life for our residents. By ridding our streets of these drugs we are reducing the violent crimes that go along with them, making the city of Middletown a safer community.”
New York State Police Superintendent Joseph A. D’Amico stated, “A significant amount of heroin will not make it onto the streets of Middletown as a result of the dedication and due diligence of local, state, and federal investigators and prosecutors working collaboratively to put a stop to these types of drug operations. It is through this cooperative effort among our partners in law enforcement that we will continue to target and remove from our streets those who choose to engage in this type of illegal and dangerous activity. I thank all of the members of this team for their hard work and dedication to the citizens of New York.”
According to allegations in the indictment unsealed in White Plains federal court today:
Fourteen people
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, the City of Middletown Police Department, the New York State Police, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the Town of Wallkill Police Department, and the Town of Ramapo Police Department. Mr. Bharara also thanked the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for its invaluable coordination and continuing support.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gerber is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara stated, “This case is yet another example of this office’s unrelenting efforts at purging the Hudson Valley of alleged violent drug trafficking gangs through the coordinated efforts of the FBI and our state and local law enforcement partners.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos stated, “The arrests today target individuals who allegedly were involved in moving heroin into Middletown. These types of crimes are all too common in this area and the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force will continue to work with our partners to eradicate violent gangs and drugs in our communities.”
Middletown Police Department Chief Ramon Bethencourt, Jr. stated, “Along with Mayor DeStefano, I want to praise the work of all of the law enforcement agencies involved. Once again our commitment to working together will have a positive influence on the quality of life for our residents. By ridding our streets of these drugs we are reducing the violent crimes that go along with them, making the city of Middletown a safer community.”
New York State Police Superintendent Joseph A. D’Amico stated, “A significant amount of heroin will not make it onto the streets of Middletown as a result of the dedication and due diligence of local, state, and federal investigators and prosecutors working collaboratively to put a stop to these types of drug operations. It is through this cooperative effort among our partners in law enforcement that we will continue to target and remove from our streets those who choose to engage in this type of illegal and dangerous activity. I thank all of the members of this team for their hard work and dedication to the citizens of New York.”
According to allegations in the indictment unsealed in White Plains federal court today:
Fourteen people
- Miguel Margolla, 29 MARGOLLA, 29,
- Jesus Irizarry Nergon, a/k/a/ “Pablo,” 22
- Mario Margolla, 32
- Roberto Margolla, 22
- Carlos Martinez, a/k/a “B-Way,” 33
- Sharlim Omar Morales, a/k/a “Moreno,” 32
- Ricardo Ramos-Mendez, a/k/a “Keeke,” a/k/a “Brian,” 23
- Teddy Rivera, a/k/a “Teddy Guns,” a/k/a “TG,” 20
- Christina Rodriguez, 23
- Johnathan Rodriguez, a/k/a “J-Whispers,” a/k/a “Bigz,” 26
- Manuel Santiago, 28
- Jessica Slocum, 24
- Alex Torres, a/k/a “Broccoli,” a/k/a “Broc,” 28
- Christian Vera Maldonado, 22
* * *
All the defendants charged in the indictment were arrested last night or today or have previously been taken into custody. Twelve of the defendants are to be presented in White Plains federal court this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lisa Margaret Smith. One defendant is to be presented in the United States District Court for the District of New Hampshire, and one defendant is to be presented in the United States District Court for the District of Puerto Rico.Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI, the City of Middletown Police Department, the New York State Police, the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, the Town of Wallkill Police Department, and the Town of Ramapo Police Department. Mr. Bharara also thanked the Orange County District Attorney’s Office for its invaluable coordination and continuing support.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s White Plains Division. Assistant U.S. Attorney Michael Gerber is in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
| Charge | Defendants | Maximum Penalties |
|---|---|---|
| Narcotics conspiracy (Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram and more of heroin.) | MIGUEL MARGOLLA, JESUS IRIZARRY NEGRON, a/k/a “Pablo,” MARIO MARGOLLA, ROBERTO MARGOLLA, CARLOS MARTINEZ, a/k/a “B-Way,” SHARLIM OMAR MORALES, a/k/a “Moreno,” RICARDO RAMOS MENDEZ, a/k/a “Keeke,” a/k/a “Brian,” TEDDY RIVERA, a/k/a “Teddy Guns,” a/k/a “TG,” CHRISTINA RODRIGUEZ, JOHNATHAN RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “J-Whispers,” a/k/a “Bigz,” MANUEL SANTIAGO, JESSICA SLOCUM, ALEX TORRES, a/k/a “Broccoli,” a/k/a “Broc,” and CHRISTIAN VERA MALDONADO | Life in prison Mandatory minimum: 10 years in prison |
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Wednesday, September 18, 2013
Heroin Dealers Connected with Two Tuscaloosa Overdose Deaths Among 50 Defendants in Federal Roundup
BIRMINGHAM—Two Birmingham men charged in connection with the heroin overdose deaths of two young men in Tuscaloosa early this year are among defendants still being sought in an arrest roundup today that is part of an ongoing law enforcement effort to attack the supply side of the growing heroin problem in the Northern District of Alabama, announced U.S. Attorney Joyce White Vance and federal Drug Enforcement Administration Assistant Special Agent in Charge Clay A. Morris.
Special agents with DEA; FBI; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, along with U.S. Marshals, Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, and state and local police, fanned out across North Alabama this morning to arrest 50 people indicted over the past six months in an operation to take heroin dealers off the streets. As of this afternoon, 40 defendants are in custody on drug distribution charges. Arrests continue. This operation is part of a larger initiative, launched in spring 2012, to track the sources of heroin in Jefferson, Shelby, and Tuscaloosa Counties and prosecute those responsible for trafficking the addictive drug that is killing people in increasing numbers.
Confirmed heroin overdose deaths in the three counties increased five-fold between 2008 and 2012, rising from 15 to 83. The majority of the 83 people who died in 2012 were in their 20s and 30s, but teenagers also are dying in increasing numbers.
"Seeking to enhance their illicit profits, drug dealers in our community have shifted their business to selling heroin, which is highly addictive," Vance said. "This shift has led to skyrocketing overdose death rates among young people. Our action today brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement who have worked over the past year to interdict the supply of heroin and get the dealers who supply it to our youth off the streets and into federal prison," she said. "We have begun and look forward to continuing to engage community leaders in efforts to raise awareness about the risks of heroin and combat the demand for it. This is a community-wide issue that parents, educators, and medical professionals need to be aware of, along with law enforcement."
“Over the past several months, law enforcement in Northern Alabama has tirelessly investigated heroin trafficking,” Morris said. “Our combined investigative and prosecutorial efforts should send a clear message to drug traffickers. That message is that law enforcement shares the common goal to protect our communities and children from those who sell poison. We will be relentless in our pursuit of those criminals who attempt to destroy the futures of our children,” he said.
The two men in Tuscaloosa whose overdose deaths are now connected to heroin sold in Birmingham were 20 and 28 years old. Both men, the younger a University of Alabama student, died in the same Tuscaloosa apartment complex within the span of one month.
The two men being sought in connection with those deaths face charges that include distributing heroin "and death resulted from the use of said heroin."
Law enforcement agencies working with DEA in the months-long investigation leading to today’s arrests include the Hoover, Pelham, Gardendale, Vestavia Hills, Tuscaloosa, Hueytown, Bessemer, and Pleasant Grove Police Departments; Marshall County Drug Task Force; Gulf Coast HIDTA Task Force; Alabama Beverage Control Board; Alabama Bureau of Investigation; Jefferson and Shelby County Sheriff’s Offices; and district attorney’s offices for Jefferson, Shelby, and Tuscaloosa Counties and the Bessemer Cutoff.
In drug trafficking prosecutions in the Northern District in the past two years, separate from today’s arrests, authorities have seized nearly five kilograms of heroin.
The government seized 2.5 kilograms of heroin and 40 kilograms of cocaine in one 2012 drug-trafficking case. A federal grand jury indicted 11 people in that case, including key defendants Tony Scales, 54, of Birmingham, and Wilbert Hankins, 43, of Hoover. All 11 have pled guilty to drug distribution charges. A federal judge has ordered the defendants, jointly, to forfeit $16 million to the government as proceeds of illegal activity.
Hankins and Scales both served time for prior convictions on federal drug charges and restarted their illicit business when they were released from prison about 2008. According to evidence in the case, Hankins had maintained contact with supply sources in California and secured large loads of drugs that were transported to Birmingham. Scales, operating mainly from a house in Ensley, used a network of distributors to sell the drugs.
Demand for heroin from Scales' customers steadily drove Hankins to include heroin with his shipments of cocaine. DEA agents seized the 2.5 kilograms of heroin and 40 kilograms of cocaine in April 2012 as it moved from California to Alabama.
A drug trafficking conspiracy case investigated by the FBI and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office led to the indictment and arrests of nine people in May and the seizure of two kilograms of nearly pure heroin and 1.5 kilograms of cocaine. That case focuses on a large-scale drug distribution network in western Birmingham. Trial is pending for all nine defendants.
The public is reminded that indictments contain only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent, and it is the government’s responsibility to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
Defendants in custody:
Special agents with DEA; FBI; and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, along with U.S. Marshals, Gulf Coast High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force, and state and local police, fanned out across North Alabama this morning to arrest 50 people indicted over the past six months in an operation to take heroin dealers off the streets. As of this afternoon, 40 defendants are in custody on drug distribution charges. Arrests continue. This operation is part of a larger initiative, launched in spring 2012, to track the sources of heroin in Jefferson, Shelby, and Tuscaloosa Counties and prosecute those responsible for trafficking the addictive drug that is killing people in increasing numbers.
Confirmed heroin overdose deaths in the three counties increased five-fold between 2008 and 2012, rising from 15 to 83. The majority of the 83 people who died in 2012 were in their 20s and 30s, but teenagers also are dying in increasing numbers.
"Seeking to enhance their illicit profits, drug dealers in our community have shifted their business to selling heroin, which is highly addictive," Vance said. "This shift has led to skyrocketing overdose death rates among young people. Our action today brings together federal, state, and local law enforcement who have worked over the past year to interdict the supply of heroin and get the dealers who supply it to our youth off the streets and into federal prison," she said. "We have begun and look forward to continuing to engage community leaders in efforts to raise awareness about the risks of heroin and combat the demand for it. This is a community-wide issue that parents, educators, and medical professionals need to be aware of, along with law enforcement."
“Over the past several months, law enforcement in Northern Alabama has tirelessly investigated heroin trafficking,” Morris said. “Our combined investigative and prosecutorial efforts should send a clear message to drug traffickers. That message is that law enforcement shares the common goal to protect our communities and children from those who sell poison. We will be relentless in our pursuit of those criminals who attempt to destroy the futures of our children,” he said.
The two men in Tuscaloosa whose overdose deaths are now connected to heroin sold in Birmingham were 20 and 28 years old. Both men, the younger a University of Alabama student, died in the same Tuscaloosa apartment complex within the span of one month.
The two men being sought in connection with those deaths face charges that include distributing heroin "and death resulted from the use of said heroin."
Law enforcement agencies working with DEA in the months-long investigation leading to today’s arrests include the Hoover, Pelham, Gardendale, Vestavia Hills, Tuscaloosa, Hueytown, Bessemer, and Pleasant Grove Police Departments; Marshall County Drug Task Force; Gulf Coast HIDTA Task Force; Alabama Beverage Control Board; Alabama Bureau of Investigation; Jefferson and Shelby County Sheriff’s Offices; and district attorney’s offices for Jefferson, Shelby, and Tuscaloosa Counties and the Bessemer Cutoff.
In drug trafficking prosecutions in the Northern District in the past two years, separate from today’s arrests, authorities have seized nearly five kilograms of heroin.
The government seized 2.5 kilograms of heroin and 40 kilograms of cocaine in one 2012 drug-trafficking case. A federal grand jury indicted 11 people in that case, including key defendants Tony Scales, 54, of Birmingham, and Wilbert Hankins, 43, of Hoover. All 11 have pled guilty to drug distribution charges. A federal judge has ordered the defendants, jointly, to forfeit $16 million to the government as proceeds of illegal activity.
Hankins and Scales both served time for prior convictions on federal drug charges and restarted their illicit business when they were released from prison about 2008. According to evidence in the case, Hankins had maintained contact with supply sources in California and secured large loads of drugs that were transported to Birmingham. Scales, operating mainly from a house in Ensley, used a network of distributors to sell the drugs.
Demand for heroin from Scales' customers steadily drove Hankins to include heroin with his shipments of cocaine. DEA agents seized the 2.5 kilograms of heroin and 40 kilograms of cocaine in April 2012 as it moved from California to Alabama.
A drug trafficking conspiracy case investigated by the FBI and the Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office led to the indictment and arrests of nine people in May and the seizure of two kilograms of nearly pure heroin and 1.5 kilograms of cocaine. That case focuses on a large-scale drug distribution network in western Birmingham. Trial is pending for all nine defendants.
The public is reminded that indictments contain only charges. Defendants are presumed innocent, and it is the government’s responsibility to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt at trial.
Defendants in custody:
- RONALD E. BROWN JR., 27, Birmingham
- BRANDON J. PARKER, 31, Quinton
- BRANDON D. MILLER, 26, Brighton
- BYRAN E. HARDY, 27, Birmingham
- REGINAL B. EDWARDS, 48, Birmingham
- JOHN D. FELTENBERGER, 45, Columbiana
- ERSKINE B. FOSTER, 38, Birmingham
- MARCUS L. BETTIS, 26, Birmingham
- FRANKLIN T. ALBERT JR., 46, Birmingham
- DARRYL K. MILLER, 44, Helena
- WALTER B. EVERSON III, 27, Birmingham
- ARCHIE T. LAWRENCE, 28, Birmingham
- MARCUS L. CAMPBELL, 35, Brighton
- ROGER E. HUGHES, 41, Columbiana
- DEMARCUS HARGROVE, 27, Birminghan
- DERRICK D. BREWER, 41, Bessemer
- JAMES D. LEVERT, 31, Birmingham
- ANTHONY D. MCGOWAN, 30, Birmingham
- REDRICK Q. PATTERSON, 30, Birmingham
- ANNA MARIE WAINRIGHT, 26, Birmingham
- LEONARD MONTGOMERY, 55, Guntersville
- JOSEPH M. BINDER, 28, Birmingham
- JERRY JONES, 20, Birmingham
- TORY TRONE, 38, Birmingham
- DANA BOYD, 24, Birmingham
- STEVEN N. SALTER, 33, Alexander City
- ERIC L. HARRIS, 31, Birmingham
- OMAR K. LEE, 35, Birmingham
- DEWARREN L. WYATT, 32, Birmingham
- ANDERSON A. LEE, 33, Birmingham
- LEDARRIUS J. BROWN, 39, Birmingham
- JOSEPH A. COOK, 20, Tuscaloosa
- ELLIOT W. MOON JR., 35, Alexander City
- VINCENT B. MOON, 40, Alexander City
- TIMOTHY BOVAN, 28, Memphis
- DAVID MCDANIEL, 22, Birmingham
- CORDELL D. TELL, 35, Birmingham
- DAVID WILSON, 35, Birmingham
- MICHAEL M. BONNER, 27, Birmingham
- SAMESHA JONES, 27, Birmingham
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Fifteen Members of Alleged Drug Ring Arrested
NEWARK, NJ—Two members of an alleged drug trafficking
ring based in Elizabeth, New Jersey and operating throughout the
Northeast and Puerto Rico made their initial court appearances today,
U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Nelson Yordan, a/k/a Carlos, 27, of Waterbury, Connecticut, and Michael Rosario, 28, of Hagerstown, Maryland, were both charged by complaint with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. They made their initial appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk in Newark federal court.
Yordan and Rosario are among 15 people arrested over the past three weeks by FBI agents and local police in connection with a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing cocaine and heroin in the Elizabeth, New Jersey; Allentown, Pennsylvania; Hartford, Connecticut; and Hagersville, Maryland areas.
Also charged by complaint in connection with the alleged drug operation are: Roberto Rentas Negron, a/k/a El Duro; Kelmit Velazquez; Antonio Vazquez, a/k/a Panta; Fernando Duarte Castro; Julio Martinez Jr., 43, of Elizabeth; Lorenzo Carballo, 28, of Elizabeth; Hector Espinoza, a/k/a Will, 27, of Elizabeth; William Crespo, a/k/a Negro, 33, of Allentown, Pennsylvania; Melvin Gerena, a/k/a Flaco, 29, of Elizabeth; Marco Rodriguez, 26, of Elizabeth; Jerel Evans, a/k/a Gigante, 25, of Elizabeth; Robert Evans, a/k/a Gigante’s Brother; and Christian Reyes, a/k/a Enano. Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiring to distribute controlled substances.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Three of the defendants—Negron, Velazquez, and Vazquez—were arrested November 30, 2012, after FBI agents learned that Negron and Velazquez were plotting to murder a rival drug dealer who had reportedly stolen one kilogram of heroin from the organization. They made their initial court appearances before Judge Falk on December 3, 2012 and were ordered detained pending trial. After their arrests, many of their co-conspirators reportedly took measures to evade law enforcement, including changing cell phones and fleeing to other states.
As part of a coordinated operation, federal, and local law enforcement authorities subsequently located and arrested: Duarte Castro on December 3, 2012 in Newark; Carballo and Espinoza on December 13, 2012 in Elizabeth; Crespo in Allentown; Yordan in Hartford; and Rosario in Hagersville; on December 14, 2012. After fleeing to Puerto Rico, Rodriguez turned himself in to the FBI in San Juan on December 19, 2012.
Martinez and Gerena were previously arrested by the Elizabeth Police Department on unrelated charges and remain in state custody pending their transfer to face the federal charge. The other three defendants remain at large.
Between November 2011 and November 30, 2012, law enforcement was involved in an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in the Elizabeth and Newark areas. The organization had people in Puerto Rico and elsewhere coordinating shipments of cocaine and heroin through the U.S. mails to New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. The narcotics would be concealed in items such as candles and children’s toys. Individuals in New Jersey would coordinate these shipments, process or “cut” the narcotics, and distribute the narcotics to locations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, and other locations.
Law enforcement in New Jersey identified Rentas Negron as the person who coordinated the acquisition of the drugs, the processing and packaging of the cocaine and heroin, the resale of the narcotics, and the distribution of the proceeds from drug sales. Vazquez frequently supplied narcotics to Rentas Negron. Reyes coordinated shipments of narcotics from Puerto Rico. The other members of the DTO cut, processed, packaged, stored, and distributed the narcotics and occasionally traveled to Florida, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, and other states in order to obtain cocaine to distribute in the Elizabeth area.
The counts with which Yordan, Rosario, Negron, Velazquez, Martinez, Carballo, Espinoza, Crespo, Jerel Evans, Robert Evans, Gerena, and Rodriguez are charged carry a minimum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. The counts with which Vazquez and Reyes are charged carry a minimum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The count with which Duarte Castro is charged carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in charge Michael B. Ward; U.S. Postal Inspectors, under the direction of Phillip R. Bartlett; law enforcement officers from the New Jersey National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, under the direction of the Adjutant General, Brig. Gen. Michael L. Cunniff; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore J. Romanko; and the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Police Director James Cosgrove, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam N. Subervi and David Eskew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Nelson Yordan, a/k/a Carlos, 27, of Waterbury, Connecticut, and Michael Rosario, 28, of Hagerstown, Maryland, were both charged by complaint with conspiracy to distribute controlled substances. They made their initial appearances today before U.S. Magistrate Judge Mark Falk in Newark federal court.
Yordan and Rosario are among 15 people arrested over the past three weeks by FBI agents and local police in connection with a drug trafficking organization responsible for distributing cocaine and heroin in the Elizabeth, New Jersey; Allentown, Pennsylvania; Hartford, Connecticut; and Hagersville, Maryland areas.
Also charged by complaint in connection with the alleged drug operation are: Roberto Rentas Negron, a/k/a El Duro; Kelmit Velazquez; Antonio Vazquez, a/k/a Panta; Fernando Duarte Castro; Julio Martinez Jr., 43, of Elizabeth; Lorenzo Carballo, 28, of Elizabeth; Hector Espinoza, a/k/a Will, 27, of Elizabeth; William Crespo, a/k/a Negro, 33, of Allentown, Pennsylvania; Melvin Gerena, a/k/a Flaco, 29, of Elizabeth; Marco Rodriguez, 26, of Elizabeth; Jerel Evans, a/k/a Gigante, 25, of Elizabeth; Robert Evans, a/k/a Gigante’s Brother; and Christian Reyes, a/k/a Enano. Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiring to distribute controlled substances.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Three of the defendants—Negron, Velazquez, and Vazquez—were arrested November 30, 2012, after FBI agents learned that Negron and Velazquez were plotting to murder a rival drug dealer who had reportedly stolen one kilogram of heroin from the organization. They made their initial court appearances before Judge Falk on December 3, 2012 and were ordered detained pending trial. After their arrests, many of their co-conspirators reportedly took measures to evade law enforcement, including changing cell phones and fleeing to other states.
As part of a coordinated operation, federal, and local law enforcement authorities subsequently located and arrested: Duarte Castro on December 3, 2012 in Newark; Carballo and Espinoza on December 13, 2012 in Elizabeth; Crespo in Allentown; Yordan in Hartford; and Rosario in Hagersville; on December 14, 2012. After fleeing to Puerto Rico, Rodriguez turned himself in to the FBI in San Juan on December 19, 2012.
Martinez and Gerena were previously arrested by the Elizabeth Police Department on unrelated charges and remain in state custody pending their transfer to face the federal charge. The other three defendants remain at large.
Between November 2011 and November 30, 2012, law enforcement was involved in an investigation into a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in the Elizabeth and Newark areas. The organization had people in Puerto Rico and elsewhere coordinating shipments of cocaine and heroin through the U.S. mails to New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, and Connecticut. The narcotics would be concealed in items such as candles and children’s toys. Individuals in New Jersey would coordinate these shipments, process or “cut” the narcotics, and distribute the narcotics to locations in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, and other locations.
Law enforcement in New Jersey identified Rentas Negron as the person who coordinated the acquisition of the drugs, the processing and packaging of the cocaine and heroin, the resale of the narcotics, and the distribution of the proceeds from drug sales. Vazquez frequently supplied narcotics to Rentas Negron. Reyes coordinated shipments of narcotics from Puerto Rico. The other members of the DTO cut, processed, packaged, stored, and distributed the narcotics and occasionally traveled to Florida, Pennsylvania, Connecticut, Maryland, and other states in order to obtain cocaine to distribute in the Elizabeth area.
The counts with which Yordan, Rosario, Negron, Velazquez, Martinez, Carballo, Espinoza, Crespo, Jerel Evans, Robert Evans, Gerena, and Rodriguez are charged carry a minimum potential penalty of five years in prison and a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. The counts with which Vazquez and Reyes are charged carry a minimum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison and a $10 million fine. The count with which Duarte Castro is charged carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in charge Michael B. Ward; U.S. Postal Inspectors, under the direction of Phillip R. Bartlett; law enforcement officers from the New Jersey National Guard Counter Drug Task Force, under the direction of the Adjutant General, Brig. Gen. Michael L. Cunniff; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore J. Romanko; and the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Police Director James Cosgrove, with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Adam N. Subervi and David Eskew of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
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