GRAND JURY INDICTS NINE PEOPLE IN CONNECTION WITH A HEROIN WHOLESALE DISTRIBUTION RING

Bronx District Attorney Robert T. Johnson announced today the arrests and indictment of nine members of a 1.5 million dollar a year heroin distribution ring. These arrests were the result of a five-month joint investigation by the Bronx District Attorney’s Office and the NYPD Bronx Narcotics Division’s Major Case Squad.

The grand jury has returned a thirty count indictment charging seven of the nine suspects with two counts of Conspiracy in the 1st degree, a Class "A-I" felony offense punishable by a minimum term of fifteen years to life imprisonment, and a maximum term of 25 years to life imprisonment. These counts allege trafficking in heroin while involving two juveniles in the operation.

All nine defendants have also been charged with one count of Conspiracy in the 2nd degree, a Class "B" felony offense; two counts of Conspiracy in the 3rd degree, a Class "D" felony offense; one count of Conspiracy in the 4th degree, a Class "E" felony offense; two counts of Criminal sale of a controlled substance in the 2nd degree, a Class A-II felony offense; twenty counts of Criminal sale of a controlled substance in the 3rd degree, a Class B felony offense; and two counts of Criminal possession of a controlled substance in the 3rd degree, a Class B felony offense. Two of the nine defendants are facing a maximum sentence of up to 25 years to life imprisonment if convicted of the most serious Class A-II felony charge.

It is alleged that the defendants acted in concert to stash and distribute heroin throughout the Tremont section of the Bronx, using an apartment in a building located at 1967 Marmion Avenue, as the organization’s base of operations. It is further alleged that sales usually occurred either in the lobby or on the street in front of the building.

Undercover detectives, according to the indictment, purchased narcotics from the defendants on twenty-one different occasions from September 2003 through February 2004. A search warrant executed at 1183 East Tremont Avenue, resulted in the seizure of 45 grams of crack cocaine, 22 bundles of heroin, a digital scale, fifteen hundred small glassine bags used to package narcotics, and $8,100 in U.S. currency.

Seven of the defendants were arraigned today in State Supreme Court, Part A, and were ordered held without bail. Two defendants named in the indictment are already in jail on unrelated charges and will be arraigned next week in Part A.

New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly said: "These individuals ran a criminal distribution ring that sold heroin throughout the Tremont section of the Bronx. Thanks to the courageous efforts of our undercover detectives, as well as the diligent teamwork that went in to this multi-agency operation, we have put these dangerous criminals behind bars and restored a sense of safety to the residents of this neighborhood. Throughout this investigation, our officers did an outstanding job of tracking these individuals, gathering evidence, and finally bringing them to justice."

District Attorney Johnson thanked the NYPD Bronx Narcotics Division Major Case Unit for the hard work and dedication that resulted in these indictments. Mr. Johnson also thanked the members of his own Gang / Major Case Bureau, Assistant District Attorneys Edward Talty, Chief, Edward Friedenthal, Counsel, Christine Scaccia, Director of Gang Prosecutions, and Assistant District Attorneys Meredith Holtzman and Pamela Pannes who are prosecuting the case.

Arrested are the following defendants: