February 24, 2006

Attorney General Corbett & D.A. Bongivengo announce arrests in "Operation Detroit"; up to 28 drug dealers charged in Detroit-to-New Castle crack cocaine rings

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NEW CASTLE - Attorney General Tom Corbett & Lawrence County District Attorney John Bongivengo today announced that agents from the Attorney General's Organized Crime Section, along with local law enforcement, are in the process of arresting as many as 28 suspected drug dealers operating in and around New Castle, Lawrence County.

Corbett said the arrests are the result of a nine-month long joint investigation by the Attorney General's office and New Castle Police Department into a pair of crack cocaine organizations established by Detroit, Michigan residents.  The rings are responsible for the sale of as much as $2 million worth of crack cocaine in the New Castle area since 2003. 

Corbett said evidence and testimony about these organizations was presented before a statewide investigating grand jury, which recommended the charges being filed today.     

As part of the investigation Corbett said agents used court-ordered wiretaps, undercover and controlled drug purchases and other investigative methods to identify members of these organizations.

"These Detroit area dealers used a combination of threats, physical violence and drug payments to gain a foothold in the New Castle area," Corbett said.  "Profit was the motive, with sales goals as high as $20,000 per day, and the dealers took aggressive steps to protect their lucrative enterprise."

Corbett said the grand jury identified the leaders of these drug organizations as James "O-Z" Brooks and Lamarol "Tone" Abram, both of Detroit.  The two organizations operated in a similar fashion, bringing powder cocaine from Detroit to New Castle, where it would be "cooked" into crack cocaine and packaged for local sale. 

Corbett said Brooks and Abram were aware of each others activities and would occasionally supply the same local dealers or crack users, but each operated a separate criminal organization.

The grand jury found that several residences in New Castle were used as locations for the sale of crack cocaine, to "cook" and package crack cocaine for sale or as "stash houses," where cocaine supplies were stored until needed.

The grand jury found that the powder cocaine that was being processed into crack in New Castle originated in Detroit.  Crack users would rent vehicles and drive Brooks, Abram or their associates to Detroit to pick up the cocaine. Females would often be used to hold the cocaine during these trips. 

Crack cocaine was the currency used by the organization to pay for the use of homes or vehicles, the sale of drugs, watching out for police, sex and other services.

Corbett said that dealers would often gain access to a residence through a crack user who lived there.  Once one dealer established residence in the home others would follow, often taking over entire sections of the home or forcing the original residents out entirely.

Corbett said several of these crack houses or stash houses were located within sight of the New Castle Police Department or the Lawrence County Courthouse, but the Detroit dealers aggressively used fear and violence to protect their enterprise and to convince local drug users not to cooperate with law enforcement.

The grand jury found that crack cocaine users were kicked, beaten or threatened with weapons in order to convince them to buy their drugs from the "right" dealers - members of the Detroit drug organizations.  Threats and violence were also used to motivate local dealers to sell drugs for certain individuals or organizations.  Members of the Detroit organizations regularly carried handguns and used threats of violence to prevent drug users from cooperating with law enforcement. 

Corbett said that in one incident described to the grand jury, drug users were locked in an apartment and photographed.   Anthony "Panama" Neal, a top lieutenant in the O-Z Brooks organization, announced that all users would be photographed so that "if anything went wrong he had pictures to pass on."  Neal indicated that if he went to jail others would have access to the photos and implied that there would be retribution for any cooperation with law enforcement.

The grand jury found that another dealer in the Brooks organization, Jasper "Izzo" Neal, allegedly threatened a witness and the witness's family, saying that "snitches always end up in ditches."  

Corbett said that many of the lower level drug dealers in the Detroit organizations would use the same nicknames or "street names," or would use multiple street names.  The dealers bragged that this was done specifically to confuse police and make it difficult to identify individuals within the organizations.

According to the grand jury, young drug dealers, some under the age of 18, were often brought from Detroit to New Castle for the purpose of selling crack cocaine for the Brooks and Abram organizations.  These young dealers would stay for several weeks and then return to Detroit, replaced by another group of young dealers.

In addition to maintaining the security of their drug networks, Corbett said the Detroit dealers also focused on maximizing profits from their drug sales in New Castle.  Upper-level dealers often instructed others to sell the crack cocaine only in small amounts in order to charge as much as possible for each sale.
Corbett explained that by bringing cocaine directly from Detroit to New Castle and controlling the local processing, distribution and sale of crack, members of these organizations were able to generate large profits.  He explained that an ounce of cocaine, costing approximately $500 on the streets of Detroit, could be broken down and sold for as much as $2,500 in New Castle.

The grand jury found that transactions at various New Castle crack houses ranged from a single rock of crack cocaine, selling for $20, to a half-ounce of cocaine worth between $450 and $500.  At some locations, sales totaled as much as 12-ounces of crack cocaine per day.

Corbett said one member of the Brooks organization, Anthony "Panama" Neal, allegedly bragged that he made $63,000 from drug sales during August of 2005.  The grand jury found that another member of the Brooks organization, Jasper "Izzo" Neal, told a New Castle police officer that he and his associates had come to New Castle to "hustle" and that he had a personal goal of making $20,000 per day from drug sales.

In addition to crack cocaine sales in New Castle, Corbett said the grand jury found that Brooks and others supplied local dealers in other communities, including Farrell, Mercer County, and Beaver Falls, Beaver County.

Corbett said that between June 2005 and January 2006, agents from the Attorney General's office along with officers from the New Castle Police Department and Pennsylvania State Troopers made numerous controlled drug purchases from members of the Brooks and Abram organizations.

On July 23, 2005, Corbett said agents from the Attorney General's office and New Castle police stopped a vehicle on Route 422 in Lawrence County as it was approaching New Castle.  The occupants of the vehicle, Lamarol Abram and Monyaka Burnett, of Detroit, were both searched, resulting in the discovery of approximately four and one half ounces of cocaine which Burnett had allegedly hidden inside her body.

Corbett said that on Nov. 18, 2005, Pennsylvania State Police executed a search warrant on a home at 331 Boyles Avenue, New Castle following the controlled purchase of approximately two and one-half grams of crack cocaine from an individual identified as "Kill."   
Fernando "Kill" Snow, of Detroit, was found inside that residence, along with two firearms, a half-pound of marijuana, and approximately six-grams of crack cocaine. 

On Jan. 6, 2006, agents from the Attorney General's office and New Castle police executed a search warrant at 102 North Walnut Street, New Castle.  Present in the home were Tytee "T-Rod" Mitchell, of Detroit, Malkia Brown, of New Castle, and Brown's two children. 

Corbett said agents and officers seized one handgun, a digital scale, baking soda, empty baggies, and other items associated with the preparation of crack cocaine from the kitchen of the home.  In the ceiling above the kitchen, officers discovered $4,000 cash and bags containing a total of approximately six-ounces of powder cocaine.  Additional cocaine was located in the attic of the home, bringing the total amount of cocaine found within the house to approximately 700 grams. 

On January 26, 2006, agents and officers executed a search at a home located at 1302 Fifth Ave., Beaver Falls, following a controlled purchase of cocaine.  Approximately 60 grams of crack cocaine and a handgun were seized during that search. 

"O-Z" Brooks Drug Organization (West Side Dealers)

The grand jury found that one of the New Castle drug organizations was headed by James "O-Z" Brooks, of Detroit, Michigan.  Brooks allegedly established himself as a crack cocaine supplier in New Castle during 2003, gradually taking control of drug sales at a "crack house" located at 922 Carson St., New Castle.

Corbett said the Carson Street location, known as the "Clubhouse," was owned by Gerald Crosby, of New Castle, also known as "Geronimo." 

The grand jury found that Anthony "Panama" Neal, and Jasper "Izzo" Neal, also of Detroit, served as upper level dealers in the Brooks organization, allegedly distributing crack cocaine to mid-level and lower-level dealers. 

Corbett said the mid-level dealers in the organization included Fernando "Kill" Snow, Larry "Boo" Tabb, Bernie "Money" Tabb and Marcos "Loco" Ferreira, all of Detroit. 

The grand jury found that Darian "D-Frame" Hall was originally brought from Detroit to New Castle to sell drugs for the Brooks organization, but eventually broke off on his own.  Duane "Tank" Evans, of New Castle, and Shantez "Stretch" Johnson, of Detroit, allegedly sold crack cocaine for Hall. 

Lamarol "Tone" Abram Drug Organization (East Side Dealers)

The grand jury found that the Abram crack cocaine organization included David "Ace" Randall, Maurice "Eli" Hubbard, Randy "Black" Oates and Lionell "Spanky" Edwards, all from Detroit.

Corbett said the grand jury also identified Raymond "Terminator" Bailey, a former Detroit resident living in New Castle, as a member of the Abram drug organization along with "Slim" (actual name unknown), "G" (actual name unknown) and an identified juvenile.

Corbett said the defendants will be arraigned today before New Castle Magisterial District Judge Melissa Amodie.

The cases will be prosecuted in Lawrence County by Senior Deputy Attorney General Michael M. Ahwesh of the Attorney General's Organized Crime Section along with Lawrence County First Assistant District Attorney Diane Shaffer, who has been specially designated a Deputy Attorney General for this case.

Corbett thanked the New Castle Police Department, including Sergeant Chris Bouye and Detective Anthony Lagnese, along with the Pennsylvania State Police and Lawrence County District Attorney's Office for their assistance with this investigation.

Corbett also thanked officers from the Neshannock Township Police, Lawrence County Sheriff's Office, Lawrence County District Attorney's Drug Task Force, Shenango Township Police, Union Township Police, Northwest Lawrence Regional Police and Bessemore Borough Police for their assistance with today's arrests.

Below is a list of the defendants and the charges filed against them:

Lamarol "Tone" Abram, 28, Detroit, MI, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, two counts of drug possession, and four counts of drug delivery. 

Raymond "Terminator" Bailey, 19, 1134 Parkwood Court., New Castle, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of drug possession and two counts of drug delivery.

Ronald "One Arm Ron" Book, 41, 421 Waldo St., New Castle, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, two counts of drug possession and four counts of drug delivery.

James "O-Z" Brooks, 39, Detroit, MI, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, five counts of drug possession, ten counts of drug delivery and one count of criminal use of a communications facility.

Malkia "Kia "Brown, 28, 102 N. Walnut St., New Castle, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, two counts of drug possession and four counts of drug delivery.

Gerald "Geronimo" Crosby, 55, 922 Carson St., New Castle, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of drug possession and two counts of drug delivery.

Andrew "Twin" Davis, 18, Detroit, MI, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of drug possession and two counts of drug delivery.
 
Lionell "Spanky" Edwards, 20, Detroit, MI, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of drug possession and two counts of drug delivery.

Duane "Tank" Evans, 23, 806 Harbor St., New Castle, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of drug possession and two counts of drug delivery.

Marcos "Loco" Ferreira, 18, Detroit, MI, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of drug possession, two counts of drug delivery and one count of simple assault.

"Slim" (name and address unknown) will be charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of drug possession and two counts of drug delivery.

"G" (name unknown), New Castle, will be charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of drug possession and two counts of drug delivery.

Terry Griffith, 37, 209 N. Mercer St., New Castle, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of drug possession and two counts of drug delivery.

Darian "D-Frame" Hall, 36, Detroit, MI, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, three counts of drug possession, six counts of drug delivery and one count of criminal use of a communications facility.

Maurice "Eli" Hubbard, 20, Detroit, MI, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of drug possession and two counts of drug delivery.

Shantez "Stretch" Johnson, Detroit, MI, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, two counts of drug possession and four counts of drug delivery.

John "Isiah" McCurdy, 35, Detroit, MI, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, two counts of drug possession and four counts of drug delivery.

Tytee "T-Rod" Mitchell, 28, Detroit, MI, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, two counts of drug possession and four counts of drug delivery.

Anthony "Panama" Neal, 34, Detroit, MI, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of drug possession, two counts of drug delivery, two counts of simple assault and one count of criminal use of a communications facility.

Jasper "Izzo" Neal, 34, Southville MI, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of drug possession, two counts of drug delivery and two counts of simple assault.

Randy "Black" Oates, 20, Detroit, MI, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of drug possession and two counts of drug delivery.

Dorothy Ortiz, 37, 508 Laurel Blvd., New Castle, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, two counts of drug possession, four counts of drug delivery and one count of criminal use of a communications facility.

Aurthur Page, 52, 202 Wilson Road, New Castle, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of drug possession and two counts of drug delivery.

David "Ace" Randall, 20, Detroit, MI, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, two counts of drug possession, four counts of drug delivery

Frenzado "Kill" Snow, 27, Detroit, MI, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, three counts of drug possession, four counts of drug delivery and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

Bennie "Money" Tabb, 20, Detroit, MI, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of drug possession, two counts of drug delivery and one count of simple assault.

Larry "Boo" Tabb, 34, Detroit, MI, is charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of drug possession and one two counts of drug delivery.

Juvenile, Detroit, MI, will be charged with two counts of participating in a corrupt organization, one count of criminal conspiracy, one count of drug possession and two counts of drug delivery.

(A person charged with a crime is presumed innocent until proven guilty.)

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Editors' Note: Photos of the defendants and copies of the grand jury presentment are available by contacting the Attorney General's Press Office at 717-787-5211.