By Michael Morton
Officers were still looking for five more suspects when DA Richard Brown broke the news, but the initial sweep included men from Jamaica, Rosedale, South Ozone Park, Queens Village and Jackson Heights, he said. Brown did not release the exact address of the reputed home base for the marijuana and crack cocaine operation, but said it was a house on 164th Street near Jamaica's busy downtown shopping area.”The 21 individuals we arrested set up the wrong kind of shop in this Queens commercial district,” the DA said. “Thanks to the great work by our officers, this drug operation in Jamaica is now out of business.”Brown said those arrested included: Rashawn Banks, 18, of 89-34 164th St. in Jamaica; Dominick Bienaime, 21, of 8410 Glenwood Rd. in Brooklyn; Kaseam Booth, 26, of 757 E. 108th St. in Brooklyn; Dugan Boynton, 27, of 759 E. 108th St. in Brooklyn; Sidney Brown, 35, of 146-15 249th St. in Rosedale; Nicholas Christmas, 18, of 107-11 159th St. in Jamaica; Michael Cox, 21, of 709 Lafayette Ave. in Brooklyn; Ricardo Henriquez, 27, of 135-16 124th St. in South Ozone Park; Anthony Holm, 26, of 166-40 89th Ave. in Jamaica; Milton Irizarry, 37, of 401 Woodbine St. in Brooklyn; Carl Jenkins, 41, of 162-09 89th Ave. in Jamaica; Jamah Johnston, 26, of 88-35 164th St. in Jamaica; Dareon Joseph, 23, of 198-05 Carpenter Ave. in Jamaica; Kwame March, 25, of 88-15 168th St. in Jamaica; Vaughn Payne, 28, of 88-15 168th St. in Jamaica; Abraham Sirleaf, 21, of 3414 Crescent St. in Brooklyn; Momolu Sirleaf, 21, of 3144 Atlantic Ave. in Brooklyn; Wesly Thompson, 19, of 102-21 221st St. in Queens Village; Derek Warren, 21, of 2019 Pacific St. in Brooklyn; and Dwan Watson, 21, of 31-17 105th St. in Jackson Heights.After their arrests, the suspects were arraigned in State Supreme Court in Kew Gardens on varying charges that included criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal sale of marijuana, Brown said. They must return to court and if later convicted could face sentences ranging from a year to up to 24 years in prison, depending on the exact charges for each defendant.Brown said police were tipped off by neighbors to the reputed drug den, then sent in undercover officers who bought crack cocaine and marijuana from the suspects between May 2004 and March 2005. The bust is part of an ongoing crackdown against drugs in the borough, the DA said.Reach reporter Michael Morton by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 154.
