Thirteen Members and Associates of Bronx Narcotics Organization Arrested for Crack Cocaine and Heroin Distribution

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; George Venizelos, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Raymond W. Kelly, the Police Commissioner for the City of New York (NYPD), announced today the unsealing of an indictment charging 13 members and associates of a drug trafficking organization (the “Organization”) operating in the Bronx with narcotics trafficking. Of the defendants charged, all 13 defendants were arrested today, including four defendants who were already in custody on state charges that have been transferred to federal custody. Eleven defendants arrested today were presented in Manhattan federal court before Chief United States Magistrate Judge Kevin Nathaniel Fox. The case has been assigned to U.S. District Judge Deborah A. Batts.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “Today, we continue our efforts to rid the Southern District of drug trafficking crews who peddle their lethal product in our neighborhoods, this time by taking down an alleged group of crack cocaine and heroin dealers in the Bronx. This case is the latest example of law enforcement working together to keep our neighborhoods safe.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos said, “Crack and heroin are a blight on the communities they infest. Even absent the violence that almost always comes with the territory, there would be reason enough to target drug trafficking. But it isn’t just a matter of stopping the spread of poison. Drug trafficking entails violence with such frequency that curbing drug activity means reducing violent crime.”
NYPD Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said, “Just as the NYPD collaborates with landlords in our ‘Clean Halls program to suppress drug dealing and its associated violence in privately owned buildings in the Bronx, we collaborated with the FBI and federal prosecutors to suppress drug trafficking in and around Bronx public housing in this case. Residents of crime-prone neighborhoods deserve a modicum of safety others take for granted. Thanks to the detectives, agents, and prosecutors who worked together on this case, law-abiding residents of the Bronx are that much safer today.”
According to the allegations in the indictment filed in Manhattan federal court, other publicly filed documents, and statements made in court earlier today:
Since at least June 2012, the Organization’s members have sold crack cocaine and heroin to street level drug customers and supplied it to other Bronx drug dealers, primarily in and around the John Adams Housing Project near Tinton Avenue in the Bronx.
The investigation into the Organization’s narcotics trafficking included the court-authorized interception of phone calls and text messages to and from the cellular telephone of a member of the Organization, as well as a number of controlled buys of heroin and crack cocaine by a confidential informant. The investigation was conducted in concert with an investigation into the 2010 murder of an individual on Nelson Avenue in the Bronx. The murder was suspected to have been committed by, among others, Jermaine Smalls, a leading member of the Organization. In October 2012, during the course of the investigations, Smalls was shot and killed outside a Manhattan night club. The investigation into both murders continues.

* * *

The defendants are charged with one count of conspiring to distribute, and possess with intent to distribute, crack cocaine and heroin, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a potential maximum sentence of life in prison. Charts containing the names, ages, and residences for the defendants are at the conclusion of this release.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD and added that the investigation is continuing.
The prosecution is being handled by the Office’s Violent Crimes Unit. Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kan Nawaday and Andrew Bauer are 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.

Five Canton Men Indicted for Cocaine Conspiracy

Five Canton men were indicted on a charge of conspiracy to distribute cocaine, said Steven M. Dettelbach, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, and Stephen D. Anthony, Special Agent in Charge of the Cleveland Division of the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Cleveland Field Office.
“This is an example of federal and local law enforcement working together to make sophisticated cases that take out groups that bring down the quality of life for everyone,” Dettelbach said. “We believe this investigation will eliminate some of the worst of the worst offenders in Canton and Stark County.”
“In the past 15 months, collaborative law enforcement efforts have resulted in the indictment of 26 individuals, including nine who were taken into custody this morning, responsible for bringing cocaine and violence to the Canton area,” Anthony said. “The FBI and our local partners will continue efforts to protect the citizens of Canton by dismantling dangerous, illegal drug organizations.”
Indicted are Jamail Cortez Mitchell, 22; Chad Irvin Tucker, 24; Cruz M. Brown, 23; Jermaine E. Gaitor, 28, and Kevin Slater, 57. All were arrested this morning.
Related state charges were filed against three other people as well.
Mitchell, Tucker, Brown, Gaitor, and Slater are accused of conspiring to distribute more than five kilograms of cocaine and more than 280 grams of crack cocaine in Canton between June 2010 and October 2011, according to the indictment.
The men purchased crack and powder cocaine from previously indicted conspirators and resold the drugs in and around Canton, according to the indictment.
This case is a supplemental indictment to the one filed on May 22, 2011, which charged 17 people with taking part in a conspiracy that brought heroin and cocaine from Columbus, Ohio, to Stark County. All 17 people have been found guilty and many have been sentenced to terms between five and 10 years in prison. Jasmine Watkins, one of the leaders the conspiracy, pleaded guilty and is facing a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison.
These cases are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Linda H. Barr following an investigation by the FBI’s Safe Streets Task Force, which is composed of the Canton Police Department, Alliance Police Department, Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Stark County Sheriff’s Office, Massillon Police Department, and Perry Police Department.
An indictment is merely an accusation. All defendants are presumed innocent of the charges until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

Dalton Meth Dealer Sentenced to Prison

ROME, GA—A Dalton man who sold a pound of methamphetamine to a police cooperator, Jeffrey McGuire, 40, of Dalton, Georgia, was sentenced today to 11 years, six months by United States District Judge Harold L. Murphy for selling a pound of methamphetamine to a man cooperating with the police investigation.
“Methamphetamine has had a devastating impact on communities in North Georgia,” said United States Attorney Sally Quillian Yates. “This defendant was caught trying to sell a pound of very pure methamphetamine. Today’s prison sentence will prevent this meth dealer from further contributing to the deterioration of our community.”
McGuire was sentenced to 11 years, six months, to be followed by four years of supervised release. McGuire was convicted on October 18, 2012, upon his plea of guilty.
According to United States Attorney Yates, the charges, and other information presented in court, in January 2012, McGuire agreed to sell one pound of methamphetamine to a man for $17,000. Unbeknownst to McGuire, his customer was cooperating with the police investigation and was working at the direction of the police. The police recorded phone calls between McGuire and the cooperator as they made arrangements for the drug deal. During one of those calls, the cooperator told McGuire that he would keep the money for the drugs in the trunk of his car. McGuire responded, “There better not be a Mexican in the trunk or I’ll have to shoot him.”
Eventually, McGuire and the cooperator agreed to meet at a Kangaroo gas station in Dalton. The police observed McGuire arrive in a BMW SUV. The cooperator arrived a few minutes later and parked next to McGuire’s SUV. McGuire got into the passenger seat of the cooperator’s car and showed him the drugs. The cooperator then gave a prearranged signal to the police that McGuire had the methamphetamine. The police moved in to arrest McGuire and pulled him out of the cooperator’s car. However, McGuire vigorously resisted arrest. It took the police several minutes to subdue and restrain him. The police recovered a pound of methamphetamine that was 90 percent pure. They also found a loaded .25 caliber pistol in the SUV.
Due to injuries that McGuire received while resisting arrest, he was taken to the hospital. A Whitfield County deputy sheriff was present to guard him. Despite the deputy sheriff’s presence, McGuire tried to escape. He ran down the hospital hallway and twice struck a nurse. Even after the deputy sheriff used a Taser on McGuire, he continued to struggle and tried to grab the deputy sheriff’s firearm. The deputy sheriff was ultimately able to use sufficient force to subdue McGuire.
This case was investigated by special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the FBI Conasauga Safe Streets Task Force, and Whitfield County Sheriff’s Office.
Assistant United States Attorneys Nekia S. Hackworth and Paul R. Jones prosecuted the case.
For further information please contact the U.S. Attorney’s Public Information Office at USAGAN.Pressemails@usdoj.gov or (404) 581-6016. The Internet address for the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Georgia is www.justice.gov/usao/gan.

Seventeen Individuals Charged in Connection with a Violent Manhattan Drug Trafficking Crew

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; George Venizelos, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Raymond W. Kelly, the Police Commissioner of the City of New York (NYPD), today announced charges against 17 members of a criminal organization based in Harlem, New York, for conspiring to distribute cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana. The superseding indictment also charges seven of the defendants with possessing firearms in connection with, and in furtherance of, the drug distribution conspiracy. One defendant, Roger Key, was also charged in the original indictment with orchestrating a murder-for-hire conspiracy of an individual at gunpoint.
Of the 16 new defendants charged, 10 were taken into custody last night and early this morning as part of a coordinated operation involving federal and local law enforcement officers. All the defendants who were arrested last night and this morning will be presented in Manhattan federal court this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Henry B. Pitman. Ruben Davis and Ruben Fernandez were previously arrested by the NYPD on related state charges and remain detained. Steven Herbert is currently detained on an unrelated federal charge. George Davis is expected to surrender later to law enforcement today, and Keith Purvis and Clayton Mollette remain at large.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “As alleged, this pack of gun-toting drug dealers wrought havoc, instilled fear, and peddled highly addictive—and sometimes lethal—narcotics in the Harlem neighborhood in which they operated. With today’s indictment, they are now off the streets, but our work is not finished, and we remain committed to shutting these violent drug crews down completely. I want to thank New York County District Attorney Cyrus Vance and his office, who began the investigation into this alleged narcotics crew and shared the fruits of their investigation with our office, enabling us to build this case. It is another great example of our offices working together in a way that best serves the case and the interests of the people of Manhattan.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos said, “For the second time in as many days we are announcing charges in a significant drug trafficking case, and again we see the ever-present link between drugs and guns. If your business is peddling illegal drugs, the business almost always entails violence to protect it. The FBI is committed to teaming with the NYPD in vigorous policing of the illegal drug trade in our mutual effort to reduce violent crime.”
NYPD Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said, “These arrests are another example of police and their federal partners’ unrelenting pursuit of crews who monetize drugs and violence. I commend the NYPD Manhattan North Narcotics detectives who worked to bring these criminals to justice to restore some measure of safety to Harlem residents. Their work is among the reasons why New York City experienced a record low in shootings and murder last year.”
As alleged in the superseding indictment unsealed today and other documents filed in Manhattan federal court:
From at least 2009 through May 2012, members of the crew sold significant street level quantities of cocaine, crack cocaine, and marijuana in Harlem, New York. Members of the crew used firearms, threats of violence, and violence to protect their drug business.
Additionally, in November 2011, Key and others recruited and hired individuals to shoot and kill a victim. During the assassination attempt, one of Key’s co-conspirators, however, shot and hit an innocent bystander, who was standing near the intended victim’s car. The innocent bystander survived.
A chart containing the ages, residency information, and charges against the defendants, as well as the maximum penalties, is at the conclusion of this release.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD. He also thanked the New York County DA’s Office for sharing evidence that ultimately led to today’s charges. He added that the investigation is continuing.

* * *

The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Violent Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Abigail Kurland, Adam Fee, and Santosh Aravind are 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.

Ten Members of Violent Bronx Drug Trafficking Crew Charged

Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York; George Venizelos, the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI); and Raymond W. Kelly, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (NYPD), today announced charges against 10 members of a criminal organization based on Wyatt Street in the Bronx, New York. Nine of the defendants were charged with conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine and heroin. The crew’s alleged ringleader, Anibal Ramos, and one of its members, Anibal Soto, were charged in the original, July 2012 indictment with kidnapping, conspiracy to commit kidnapping, and the brandishing of a firearm in connection with, and in furtherance of, the kidnapping. Ramos and Soto are alleged to have kidnapped and tortured an individual, including by burning the victim with an iron. The superseding indictment adds narcotics charges against Ramos and also charges him and three of the new defendants with possessing firearms in connection with, and in furtherance of, the crack cocaine and heroin conspiracy.
All eight of the new defendants charged were taken into custody today as part of a coordinated operation involving federal and local law enforcement officers. Ramos, who was arrested in August 2012, and Soto, who was arrested in July 2012, remain detained. All the defendants arrested today will be presented in Manhattan federal court this afternoon.
Manhattan U.S. Attorney Preet Bharara said, “As alleged, for far too long, these defendants were a bloody blight on a Bronx community, contaminating it with poisonous and highly addictive drugs and the guns and brutal violence that are part and parcel of the drug trade. This case demonstrates our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to identify and prosecute those who engage in this conduct and to expand cases previously charged when we develop new evidence. With the charges we bring today in two separate cases against 19 defendants, the Bronx neighborhoods in which they ran amok are safer places for their residents.”
FBI Assistant Director in Charge George Venizelos, “This case highlights once again the dual threat posed to our communities by the illegal drug trade. The drugs themselves are poison, with life-altering and lethal consequences. And violence almost always comes with the territory. We remain committed to restoring our communities to their law-abiding residents.”
NYPD Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said, “The depraved acts of torture described in the indictment need no further characterization, other than to observe that the nexus between drug trafficking and violence is well-established, and the commitment among police and prosecutors to bring its practitioners to justice is unyielding.”
As alleged in the superseding indictment unsealed today and other documents filed in Manhattan federal court:
From at least 2000 through August 31, 2012, Ramos was the leader of a drug crew that operated on Wyatt Street in the Bronx and sold significant street level quantities of crack cocaine and heroin. In addition, members of the drug trafficking organization used firearms, threats of violence, and violence to secure and enforce their drug territory, including the kidnapping and brutal torture committed by Ramos and Soto.
Ramos, Joel Cabrera, William Zacchi, Christopher Hernandez, Michael Aviles, Latrell Riddles, Charitza Quintana, Yasmine, Zelayandia, and Jacqueline Hernandez are charged with conspiring to distribute, and possess with the intent to distribute, crack cocaine and heroin.
Ramos, Aviles, Riddles, and Zelayandia are also charged with possessing firearms in connection with, and in furtherance of, the crack cocaine and heroin conspiracy.
A chart containing the ages, residency information, and charges against the defendants, as well as the maximum penalties they face is at the conclusion of this release.
Mr. Bharara praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI and the NYPD. He added that the investigation is continuing.

* * *

The prosecution of this case is being overseen by the Office’s Violent Crimes Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Hadassa Waxman and Timothy D. Sini are 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.

Harford County Oxycodone Dealer Sentenced to Over 10 Years in Prison

BALTIMORE—U.S. District Judge Catherine C. Blake sentenced Ronnie Stocks, age 34, of Bel Air, Maryland, today to 126 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, for conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute oxycodone.
The sentence was announced by United States Attorney for the District of Maryland Rod J. Rosenstein; Special Agent in Charge Stephen E. Vogt of the Federal Bureau of Investigation; Harford County Sheriff L. Jesse Bane; and Harford County State’s Attorney Joseph I. Cassilly.
According to Stocks’ guilty plea, in 2010 and 2011, Stocks was obtaining oxycodone from approximately 12 sources and was distributing those pills, in amounts no less than $100 at a time, to about 36 individuals. During an investigation by the Harford County Drug Task Force, several of Stocks’ customers provided information about the number and frequency of purchases of oxycodone made from Stocks, where those purchases occurred, and how many pills would be purchased at one time. A wiretap of Stocks’ cell phone in early 2011 captured Stocks conducting dozens of drug transactions. In April 2011, law enforcement also learned that Stocks sold a firearm. On April 14, 2011, Stocks was arrested and his home and vehicle were searched, recovering over 40 oxycodone pills.
United States Attorney Rod J. Rosenstein commended the FBI, Harford County Sheriff’s Office, Harford County State’s Attorney’s Office, and all the members of the Harfod County Narcotics Task Force for their work in the investigation. Mr. Rosenstein thanked Assistant United States Attorney Mushtaq Gunja, who prosecuted this Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force case.

New Orleans Man Sentenced for Heroin Conspiracy

NEW ORLEANS—Devin Morgan, age 20, a resident of New Orleans, Louisiana, was sentenced to four years (48 months) of incarceration by U.S. District Court Judge Jay C. Zainey after he pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute a quantity of heroin, announced U.S. Attorney Dana J. Boente. In addition to the term of imprisonment, Judge Zainey imposed three years of supervised release following the term of imprisonment, during which time the defendant will be under federal supervision and risks an additional term of imprisonment should he violated any terms of his supervised release.
Morgan was arrested and indicted for conspiracy to distribute heroin pursuant to the FBI Ninth Ward Initiative, which focuses on violent offenders in the Lower Ninth Ward section of New Orleans. According to court documents, Morgan admitted to buying and reselling at least 20 grams of heroin from April 2012 through May 14, 2012.
The case was investigated by the FBI Violent Crime Task Force with assistance of the New Orleans Police Department and was prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Edward J. Rivera.