Press Release
NETWORK OF DRUG DEALERS AND GUN TRAFFICKERS DISMANTLED IN QUEENS FOLLOWING LONG-TERM INVESTIGATION (PHOTOS)
Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz, joined by the New York City Police Department, announced today that a group of 21 defendants have been indicted by a Queens County grand jury and were arrested early this morning. The defendants are variously charged in five separate indictments with allegedly running and/or possessing guns and dealing drugs in the Redfern H Far Rockaway and surrounding neighborhoods between November 2019 and March 2021.
District Attorney Katz said, “Attorneys from my Office and members of the NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Division worked tirelessly for months, focusing our investigation where drugs and guns have been a toxic combination for far too long, made so by individual drivers of crime. Police recovered firearms, cocaine, heroin, heroin laced with fentanyl and other illicit drugs during this operation. My Office is committed to working with our law enforcement partners to make certain no community is held hostage to those who seek to profit from human misery.”
Police Commissioner Dermot Shea said, “This investigation highlights our joint responsibilities in eradicating shootings, illegal firearms and the violence of the narcotics trade that tear at the fabric of life in our City. Our NYPD officers, with our partners in the Queens district attorney’s office, have worked tirelessly throughout the pandemic to ensure that those who live and work in the Far Rockaway neighborhood can be safe — and we embrace these charges as a measure of justice.”
Utilizing surveillance techniques, undercover buys and other investigative tools, the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprise Bureau, working in conjunction with the Gun Recidivist Investigation Program (GRIP – part of the NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Division) conducted a long-term investigation to uncover gun running and illicit narcotics sales in Queens County.
District Attorney Katz said this investigation began in November 2019 with a Court-authorized eavesdropping warrant on a cell phone belonging to defendant Antoine Nance, 35, who has been charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance, conspiracy and other crimes.
Monitoring this defendant’s calls led to the discovery of a network of two groups of alleged dealers in Far Rockaway, Queens. Law enforcement intercepted both narcotics and firearm-related communications between Nance and many of the other defendants.
According to the charges, calls and text messages between Nance and Kimiko Leonard allegedly revealed that the female defendant was Nance’s main drug supplier. On a monthly basis Leonard, who works for the Metropolitan Transit Authority (MTA) is alleged to have sold Nance his usual order of cocaine. The pair allegedly used code words to set up buys with Nance texting her that “he needed a ride to 200 Street,” which actually meant he wanted to buy 200 grams of cocaine.
Results of the investigation include:
- According to the charges, one of Nance’s associates, Keith Alston, was heard on a wire-tapped line on July 20, 2020, allegedly telling co-defendant Paul Reed that he had recently assaulted someone and needed to hide a gun. The pair allegedly worked out a plan to pass the illegal firearm so that authorities would not find the weapon at Alston’s home. Instead, police recovered the weapon in Reed’s residence following the execution of a Court-authorized search warrant.
- As outlined in the charges, another person with whom Nance was in contact with was Kasson Brown. Defendant Brown is accused of being a top supplier of both cocaine and heroin in the region who, to avoid detection by law enforcement, used runners to sell the drugs on the streets. One of his paid runners was allegedly Dewayna Edwards. An undercover officer was introduced to Edwards as a drug buyer and at times when this “buyer” wanted to make a purchase, she would allegedly at times reach out to Brown to get the drugs. Brown, in turn, would allegedly contact defendant Resean Morris to get him the needed heroin or Raymond Cowan for cocaine.
- DA Katz said defendant Brown’s crew of runners even allegedly, branded their drugs, packing the heroin they sold in glassine envelopes stamped in red with the words “King of Death” along with a photo of the Grim Reaper. Tests on the substance within the little envelopes allegedly revealed a mix of heroin, fentanyl and tramadol. At times, tests showed the substance was pure fentanyl.
- Another one of Brown’s alleged street runners, according to the charges, was Jason Bernadotte. During a Court-authorized search of Bernadotte’s home in the Redfern Houses in Far Rockaway on September 29, 2020, police allegedly recovered 117 glassine envelopes containing a mix of heroin, fentanyl and tramadol. There were also 65 ‘twists’ of cocaine found.
- During a November 1, 2020 Court-authorized search of the home of defendant Sekou Santiago, police allegedly recovered a Glock pistol, a high-capacity magazine, a loaded magazine, a laser sight, 114 grams of heroin and fentanyl and 269 grams of cocaine.
The joint investigation was conducted by the Queens County District Attorney’s Office with New York City Police Department. NYPD Detectives James Miles, William Warren (now retired) and Gerald Cuchiarra led the investigation, under the supervision of Sergeants Daniel Nicoletti and Benjamin Nelson, as well as Lieutenant William Buchanan of the Gun Recidivist Investigations Program, under the overall supervision of Captain Thomas Passolo and Inspector Jason Savino, Commanding Officer of the Gun Violence Suppressions Division.
Assistant District Attorney Alana Weber, of the District Attorney’s Violent Criminal Enterprises Bureau, is prosecuting the case under the supervision of Assistant District Attorneys Jonathan Sennett, Bureau Chief; Michelle Goldstein, Senior Deputy Bureau Chief; Philip Anderson and Mark Katz, Deputy Bureau Chiefs; Ajay Chheda, Section Chief; and under the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney of Investigations Gerard Brave.
#
ADDENDUM
ANTOINE NANCE, 35, of Alameda Avenue in Far Rockaway, Queens, is charged on two separate indictments with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree, criminal sale of a controlled substance in the first and third degree and attempted criminal sale of a controlled substance in the second and third degree. If convicted, Nance faces up to 30 years in prison.
KEITH ALSTON, 53, of Beach 56th Street, in Arverne, Queens, is charged in two separate indictments with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree, criminal sale of a controlled substance in the second and third degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second and third degree, criminal sale of a firearm in the third degree and unlawful possession of pistol ammunition. If convicted, Alston faces up to 15 years in prison.
JASON BERNADOTTE, 20, of Beach Channel Drive in Far Rockaway, Queens, is charged on two separate indictments with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the second and third degree, criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, resisting arrest, failing to stop at a sign and operating a motor vehicle with a tinted window. If convicted, Bernadotte faces up to 15 years in prison.
KASSON BROWN, 32, of Beach 19th Street in Far Rockaway, Queens, is charged in two separate indictments with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree, criminal sale of a controlled substance in the first, second and third degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first and third degree. If convicted, Brown faces up to 30 years in prison.
JASON CARTER, 53, of Gateway Avenue in Far Rockaway, Queens, is charged in a 17-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third and fourth degree. If convicted, Brown faces up to 30 years in prison.
RAYMOND COWAN, 57, of Southside Avenue in Freeport, Long Island, is charged in a 70-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree, criminal sale of a controlled substance in the first and third degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first and third degree. If convicted, Cowan faces up to 24 years in prison.
DEWAYNA EDWARDS, 45, of Bayview Avenue in Inwood, Long Island, is charged in a 70-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree, criminal sale of a controlled substance in the first, second and third degree, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree and criminally using drug paraphernalia in the second degree. If convicted, Edwards faces up to 20 years in prison.
NYLIQUE KNIGHT, 21, of Beach Channel Drive in Far Rockway, Queens, is charged in a 19-count indictment with conspiracy in the fourth degree, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the second and third degree. If convicted, Knight faces up to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison.
KIMIKO LEONARD, 34, of Linden Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens, is charged in a 17-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree, criminal sale of a controlled substance in the first degree, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the second and third degree. If convicted, Leonard faces up to 20 years in prison.
DERRICK MCCLENDON, 39, of Redfern Avenue in Far Rockaway, Queens, is charged in a 70-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree and criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree. If convicted, McClendon faces up to 9 years in prison.
ISAIAH MCFADDEN, 26, of Redfern Avenue in Far Rockaway, Queens, is charged in a 70-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree and criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree. If convicted, McFadden faces up to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison.
RESEAN MORRIS, 31, of 161st Street in Jamaica, Queens, is charged in a 70-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree, criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. If convicted, Morris faces up to 12 years in prison.
PAUL REED, 53, of Beach 56th Street in Far Rockaway, Queens is charged in an eight-count indictment with conspiracy in the fourth degree and criminal possession of a firearm. If convicted, Reed faces up to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison.
SEKOU SANTIAGO, 32, of Redfern Avenue in Far Rockaway, Queens is charged in a 70-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree, criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first, second and third degree, criminal possession of a weapon in the third degree and criminally using drug paraphernalia in the second degree. If convicted, Santiago faces up to 24 years in prison.
VLADIMIR SEVERINO, 49, of Isham Street in Manhattan, New York, is charged in a 70-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree, criminal sale of a controlled substance in the first degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first and third degree. If convicted, Severino faces up to 20 years in prison.
LESLEY ST. PIERRE, 48, of 254th Street in Rosedale, Queens, was arraigned before Queens Supreme Court Justice Kenneth Holder on a 70-count indictment. The defendant is charged with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree. If convicted, St. Pierre faces up to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison.
REGINALD ST. PIERRE, 59, of 255th Street in Rosedale, Queens is charged in a 70-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree and criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree. If convicted, St. Pierre faces up to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison.
WILLIE WATERS, 30, of 49th Street in Woodside, Queens, is charged in a four-count indictment with criminal possession of a weapon in the second and third degree and reckless endangerment in the first degree. If convicted, Waters faces up to 15 years in prison.
PAULETTA WILLIAMS, 30, of Beach 54th Street in Far Rockaway, Queens, is charged in a 70-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree, criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree. If convicted, Williams faces up to 9 years in prison.
SHABAR WILLIAMS, 29, of Redfern Avenue in Far Rockaway, Queens, is charged in two separate indictments with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree, criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree. If convicted, Williams faces up to 1 1/3 to 4 years in prison.
TYRONE WINSLOW, 35, of Beach 40th Street in Far Rockaway, Queens, is charged in a 70-count indictment with conspiracy in the second and fourth degree, criminal possession of a controlled substance in the first, second and third degree, and criminally using drug paraphernalia in the second degree. If convicted, Alston faces up to 30 years in prison.