Thursday, February 17, 2005
SCORES OF ALLEGED DRUG DEALERS
CHARGED IN UNDERCOVER OPERATION
AT QUEENSBRIDGE HOUSES IN LONG ISLAND CITY
Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York Roslynn R. Mauskopf, Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly, Drug Enforcement Administration, Associate Special Agent in Charge New York Division Derek Maltz and New York State Police Superintendent Wayne E. Bennett announced today the filing of criminal charges involving scores of alleged drug dealers accused of selling cocaine to undercover police officers in an anti-drug enforcement initiative at the Queensbridge Houses in Long Island City.
District Attorney Brown said, “The defendants have been charged with selling cocaine and accused of drug dealing in and near the Queensbridge Houses, a public housing development. The charges are serious and some defendants upon conviction face sentences of up to 25 years in prison. Queensbridge is the largest public housing development in the City. It is home to some 7,000 people who reside in over 3,100 apartments. The residents of the Queensbridge Houses are entitled to live in an environment free from drugs and violence.”
United States Attorney Mauskopf said, “Today's arrests are the result of a coordinated law enforcement and prosecutorial initiative to rid the Queensbridge Housing development of a gang of violent drug dealers who held this community hostage and put our school children at risk. This case clearly demonstrates the success that can be achieved through federal, state and local law enforcement cooperation."
Police Commissioner Kelly said, “The ‘Dream Team’ thought if they operated quietly, they could operate indefinitely. They were dreaming. They came up against a law enforcement team, whose members each brought something unique and important to the table. From knowledge of the housing complex to undercover expertise and prosecutorial experience, all the bases were covered. I want to thank and congratulate all of the police officers, agents and troopers for their outstanding work.”
DEA Associate Special Agent In Charge Maltz said, “I want to advise the public that we in DEA are joined with the New York City Police Department and the New York State Police and are 100 percent committed to the citizens of this great City. We will continue to align our resources with our law enforcement counterparts in an effort to eradicate major drug trafficking groups like the organizations that were operating in the Queensbridge community for years. We will continue to assist the NYPD and supplement their efforts to protect the NYC communities and provide a better quality of life.”
New York State Police Superintendent Bennett said, “Through a well coordinated effort of federal, state and New York City law enforcement, members of the violent drug organization operating in one of the largest housing developments in the United States have been brought to justice on a variety of serious drugs and weapons charges. These arrests, using a combination of federal and state criminal statutes, will keep the worst of these violent offenders off the street for many years.”
The current phase of the operation began in April 2004 when police and prosecutors in response to community complaints set up an undercover operation which also utilized extensive police surveillance. Over the past eleven months, police have made periodic arrests and seizures of drugs and guns and earlier this week stepped up the pace to make scores of additional arrests.
The defendants are alleged to have repeatedly sold cocaine to NYPD undercover officers between April 2004 and yesterday. Some defendants will be prosecuted by Eastern District of New York federal prosecutors in Brooklyn and others by the Queens County District Attorney’s Narcotics Investigations Bureau prosecutors in Queens.
Among the Queens County defendants charged under New York State law is an alleged drug dealer identified as Geovanny Cruel, 39, of 541 Union Avenue in the Bronx who listed his occupation as livery cab driver. Police seized nine ounces of cocaine from his residence. Defendant Cruel has been charged with Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the First Degree and Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance in the Second Degree and faces up to 20 years in prison, if convicted.
During the investigation police executed a search warrant inside 41-01 10th Street in the Queensbridge Houses, arrested four individuals and recovered over one-eighth of an ounce of cocaine and over 500 small plastic glassine bags. The defendants are identified as Troy Battle, 31, Evon Battle, 36, Shaquana Battle, 18, and Shari Starkes, all residing at 41-01 10th Street and are being prosecuted under State law for Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance in the Third Degree. They face up to nine years in prison if convicted.
District Attorney Brown said that the public housing anti-drug dealing initiative by law enforcement has been underway for over ten years and has over the years targeted hundreds of drug dealers in public housing developments in South Jamaica, Far Rockaway and other locations and in private housing developments like Lefrak City.
The District Attorney said that cooperation by local residents is a key component of the ongoing enforcement efforts.
District Attorney Brown said, “The charges filed against these defendants have resulted from undercover police surveillance and information provided by residents upset and concerned with illegal narcotics dealing in their neighborhood. The prosecution shows that residents, police and prosecutors can work effectively together to protect public safety and improve the quality of life.”
Among others, those defendants being prosecuted federally include members of a "Blood" gang set, known as the "Dream Team." The "Dream Team" (led by Ed "Super Ed" Carillo) has employed violence in an attempt to control their drug dealing territory in the Queensbridge Houses and drive out drug dealers who offer competition. Undercover officers made numerous crack cocaine purchases from members of the "Dream Team" and have captured some of their activity on videotape.
Ten suspects have been arrested thus far on federal charges, including distribution of crack cocaine, distribution of crack cocaine within a public housing facility and within 100 feet of a public youth center, and firearms charges. In addition, there are seven other federal defendants for whom there are outstanding arrest warrants. The defendants being prosecuted federally have extensive criminal histories, including convictions for narcotics related offenses and crimes of violence.
The federal cases were investigated under the auspices of the New York Drug Enforcement Task Force, comprised of Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, NYPD Detectives, the New York State Police and the Queens Narcotics Detective Squad. They are being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Colleen Kavanagh.
The cases being prosecuted by the Queens County District Attorney’s office were investigated by Detectives Edward Spagnuolo, Jerome Kern, Michael Cervini, Paul Josefson, Edward Valla and Brian Oliver of the New York City Police Department Queens North Initiative under the supervision of Sergeant Robert Dreiss, Lieutenant William Biancardi and Deputy Inspector John E. Essig, Commanding Officer, Narcotics Borough Queens, and the overall supervision of Assistant Chief Anthony J. Izzo, Commanding Officer, Narcotics Division, and Chief Douglas Zeigler, Organized Crime Control Bureau.
Assistant District Attorney Mary M. Lowenburg of the District Attorney's Narcotics Investigations Bureau is prosecuting the Queens County cases under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Wilbert J. LeMelle, Bureau Chief, Karen J. Friedman, Deputy Bureau Chief, and Mark L. Katz, Supervisor, and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigations Peter A. Crusco and Deputy Executive Assistant District Attorney for Investigation Linda M. Cantoni. Assistant District Attorney Michael E. Brovner of the Gang Violence and Hate Crimes Bureau provided assistance in the investigation.
It should be noted that criminal charges are merely an accusation and that defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.