Sold Everything From Heroin To Painkillers
Fifty-one people have been charged with allegedly hawking drugs to undercover police officers during a series of anti-drug initiatives at the New York City Housing Authority’s (NYCHA) Queensbridge and Ravenswood houses in Long Island City, law enforcement officials announced last Thursday, May 16.
The defendants-who range in age from 18 to 57-are charged with selling heroin, cocaine, oxycodone, methamphetamine and marijuana to undercover police officers on hundreds of separate occasions over an eight-month period dating back to last year. Reportedly, 28 drug dealers were indicted and 28 others were arrested for their participation in drug sales.
In addition to 38 arrests made last Wednesday, May 15, officers executed seven court-authorized search warrants and recovered varying amounts of narcotics, hashish, marijuana, drug paraphernalia and cash.
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown and Police Commissioner Raymond Kelly announced the charges last Thursday.
According to Brown, the investigation began lastAugust when detectives assigned to the NYPD’s Queens Narcotics Division teamed up with Brown’s Narcotics Investigation Bureau with the goal of identifying, disrupting and stopping marijuana and narcotics trafficking organizations operating in the Queensbridge and Ravenswood Houses and to apprehend its members and associates.
“The defendants are charged with selling marijuana and an assortment of dangerous drugs-including heroin, cocaine, oxycodone-in and around two of the city’s housing developments,” Brown said. “The charges are serious and some defendants upon conviction face sentences of up to 10 years in prison.”
“NYPD officers patrol and perform dangerous undercover work in public housing developments to protect law-abiding New Yorkers who are disproportionately afflicted by illicit drugs and violence,” added Kelly. “I commend the NYPD Narcotics Borough Queens detectives, especially those working undercover, and investigators in the District Attorney’s office for bringing to justice those who subject their neighbors to criminal harm.”
The defendants are variously charged with the crimes of seconddegree criminal sale of a controlled substance, a Class A II felony punishable by up to 10 years in prison, third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, a Class B felony punishable by up to nine years in prison, first-degree criminal sale of marijuana, a Class C felony punishable by up to 5 1/2 years in prison, second-degree criminal sale of marijuana, a Class D felony punishable by up to 2 1/2 years in prison, third-degree criminal sale of marijuana, a Class E felony punishable by up to 1 1/2 years in prison, fourth-degree criminal sale of marijuana, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in jail, fifth-degree criminal sale of marijuana, a Class B misdemeanor punishable by up to three months in jail, and fourth-degree criminal facilitation, a Class A misdemeanor punishable by up to one year in prison.
The suspects were identified as follows (except where noted, all of the defendants live in Long Island City):
– Indicted defendants-Rosemary Bagos, 57, of 46th Street in Sunnyside; Danny Beauford, 22, of 10th Street; Joshua Benson, 27, of 24th Street in Astoria; Yolanda Burch, 42, of 10th Street; Taylor Cochran, 22, of 34th Avenue; Melvin Davis, 56, of 12th Street; Antonio Flores, 28, of Woodhaven Boulevard in Glendale; Jarmarl Gilmore, 32, of 35th Avenue in Astoria; Raymond Harris, 56, of 12th Street; Jamal Key, 37, of 21st Street in Astoria; Mario Malave, 26, of 12th Street; Jacob Nelson, 26, of 34th Avenue; David Pinckney, 31, of 12th Street; Nestor Rodriguez, 45, of Vernon Boulevard; and Alfred Womack, 19, of 12th Street.
– Defendants arrested on felony charges-Avery F. Alleyne, 19, of 10th Street; Denise Alston, 49, of 10th Street; Kejeon Butler, 24, of 10th Street; Michael Buler, 53, of 10th Street; Todd Caviness, 50, of 10th Street; James Ford, 50, of West 135th Street; Joaquin Gueits, 57, of 10th Street; Naseem Mohammed, 26, of Lock Road in Deerfield, Fla. and 130th Street in Richmond Hill; Mike Odom, 47, of 10th Street; Sarah Odom, 49, of 12th Street; Mohamed Saleh, 26, of 12th Street; Mary Stovall, 44, of 10th Street; Brince Tucker, 19, of Story Avenue in the Bronx; Stephanie Tucker, 18, of Story Avenue in the Bronx; Alan Williams, 56, of 12th Street; and Samina Zafar, 36, of Vernon Boulevard.
– Defendants arrested on misdemeanor charges-Rachel Adamson, 26, of Vernon Boulevard; Jonathan Michael Joseph, 21, of 12th Street; Shawn Kearse, 42, of 12th Street; Vanessa Mays, 57, of 12th Street; Dion Moore, 38, of Vernon Boulevard; Raphael Sepulveda, 21, of 12th Street; and Jamele Williams, 31, of 12th Street.
The Queensbridge Houses is the largest public housing development in North America and covers nearly 50 acres. Located in Long Island City and completed in March 1940, the more than 3,000-unit complex is broken into two separate complexes- the North and South Houses.
The Queensbridge North Houses consist of 13 six-story buildings that house some 3,400 residents in 1,517 apartments. The Queensbridge South Houses consist of 13 six-story buildings that house some 3,500 residents in 1,602 apartments.
The Ravenswood Houses is another NYCHA Queens development. The complex was completed in 1951 and consists of 31 six- and sevenstory buildings that house some 4,500 residents in 2,163 apartments.
The investigation was conducted by Detectives Kenneth Rice, Thomas Decker, Frank Bleier, Michael DiMeglio, Keith Dietrich, Charmaine Pierre, and Timothy Downing, of the NYPD Queens Narcotics Division, under the supervision of Sgt. Lawrence Fiorello and Lt. John Hennig and under the command of Capt. Louis Vierling, executive officer, and Inspector Michael Bryan, and under the overall supervision of Assistant Chief Joseph Reznick, commanding officer of the Narcotics Division, and Chief Anthony Izzo, commanding officer of the Organized Crime Control Board.
Assistant District Attorney Ajay D. Chheda and Senior Assistant District Attorney Neil F. Gitin of the District Attorney’s Narcotics Investigation Bureau, are prosecuting the cases under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys 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 indictments and criminal complaints are merely accusations and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
