Sold Cocaine, Marijuana, Meds; Had Guns
Forty-three individuals have been arrested on drug charges this week following a one-year investigation into narcotics deals around Jamaica, Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly announced last Friday, Aug. 24.
Law enforcement sources said the probe, which was conducted jointly by the NYPD’s Narcotics Borough Queens Division and District Attorney Brown’s Narcotics Investigation Bureau, commenced in September 2011 when a sharp rise in shootings occurring in the vicinity of South Road and Sutphin Boulevard was attributed to the presence of a gang selling marijuana and narcotics in the area.
Over the course of the investigation- which included extensive physical surveillance and undercover police officers posing as narcotics customers-43 individuals have been charged with the sale and possession of narcotics-including cocaine, oxycodone, hydrocodone, diazepam and marijuana.
In addition to the arrests, courtauthorized search warrants were executed at nine locations. Among the items seized were three loaded handguns (one .40-cal. handgun and two .22-cal. handguns), eleven ounces of cocaine, five crack pipes, three ziplock bags containing crack/cocaine, three ziplock bags containing marijuana, 10 bags containing marijuana and 68 assorted pills.
“This investigation is another example of police and prosecutors working together to reduce drug dealing that too often plagues our neighborhoods,” Brown said. “We are committed to continue to employ aggressive and innovative tactics to track down and prosecute drug dealers and other criminals who seek to terrorize our communities. It is imperative that we stop those who would flood our streets with drugs and lure our children into lives of crime.”
“The arrests of individuals intent on using city streets for drugs sales and associated violence is paramount to ensuring residents do not live in fear when walking through their neighborhood,” Kelly added. “Two weeks ago, an NYPD sergeant was shot in the same Jamaica neighborhood where many of these arrests took place and that shooting is a reminder that police officers patrolling neighborhoods, or conducting undercover investigations, perform their duties often at great risk to themselves. Anybody with information regarding the shooting of Sgt. Craig Bier and the whereabouts of suspect John Thomas are asked to call Crime Stoppers at 1-800-577-TIPS.”
All of the defendants (whom live in Jamaica, except where noted) were identified as Karl Barrett, 21, of Liverpool Street; Adrian Bierd, 21, and Gary Bierd, 16, both of 107th Avenue; Mitchell Brazzley, 34, of 153rd Street; Allen Brown, 52, of 143rd Street; Torrey Brown, 22, of Lakewood Avenue; Ahnesia Daniel, 27, of Liverpool Street; William A. Dash, 26, of 115th Road; Mark Diyalal, 33, of 105th Avenue; Argenis Downing, 22, of Lenox Avenue in Manhattan; Roshaun Dye, 32, of 109th Drive; Jordan Evans-Coby, 24, of Remington Street; Donte Fraiser, 18, of 111th Avenue; Glenmore Green, 44, of Lakewood Avenue; Sherwin Haynes, 30, of Liverpool Street; Stephanie John, 24, of Waltham Street; Dana Jones, 22, and Monaray Jones, 33, both of Lakewood Avenue; Angie M. King, 33, of 153rd Street; and Chikulupiliro Kunda, 24, of Lakewood Avenue.
Also charged were Aswall Mc- Daniel, 35, of 153rd Street; Quaneisha McDonald, 24, of Shore Avenue; David Reid, 18, of Remington Street; Randolph Roland, 22, of Remington Street; Jamel Rush, 36, John Rush, 55, and Rahmel Rush, 34, all of 105th Avenue; Natividad Scott, 46, of Shore Avenue; Charles Skinner, 39, of Liverpool Street; Solomon Skinner, 34, of 109th Avenue; Clinton Smalls, 43, of Liverpool Street; Eric Somersall, 38, and Jon Somersall, 19, both of Pinegrove Street; Charles Spencer, 48, and Stephen Spencer, 50, both of Shore Avenue; Michael Thompson, 26, of Liverpool Street; Alexander Tullis, 24, of Ferndale Avenue; Bernard Warren, 43, of Van Wyck Expressway; Jeffrey S. Wearer, 31, of Liverpool Street; Kenny Williams, 30, of Lakewood Avenue; Diahann Wilson, 46, of Shore Avenue; Jonathan Wohl, 24, of Lakewood Avenue; and Patricia Wilson, 52 of Shore Avenue.
They were variously booked with the crimes of first-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and criminal sale of a controlled substance in or near school grounds, fourth-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, fifth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree criminal possession of marijuana, third-degree criminal sale of marijuana in the third degree, seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance, criminally using drug paraphernalia and fourthdegree criminal sale of marijuana, fifth-degree criminal possession of marijuana and fifth-degree criminal sale of marijuana and unlawful possession of marijuana.
If convicted, each suspect faces between 90 days and 24 years in prison (depending on the charges) and fines.
Some of the defendants are also charged with non-drug offenses, namely, second-degree criminal possession of a weapon, punishable by up to 15 years in prison; third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, punishable by up to seven years in prison, and fourth-degree criminal possession of a weapon, punishable by up to one year in jail.
The investigation was conducted by Det. Timothy Downing of the NYPD Queens Narcotics Division, under the supervision of Sgt. Lawrence Fiorello, Lt. John Hennig and Capt. Louis Vierling, executive officer, and Inspector Michael Bryan, commanding officer, and under the overall supervision of Chief Joseph Reznick, commanding officer of the Narcotics Division, and Chief Anthony Izzo, commanding officer of the Organized Crime Control Bureau.
Assistant District Attorneys Noliesa Miller and Soledad V. Diaz of District Attorney Brown’s Narcotics Investigations Bureau are prosecuting the cases under the supervision of Assistant District Attorney Wilbert J. LeMelle, bureau chief, Karen J. Friedman, deputy bureau chief, and Philip D. Anderson, supervisor, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Linda M. Cantoni.
It was noted that criminal complaints are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
