Attorney General Announces Major Drug Bust

8/3/2019 Attorney General Announces Major Drug Bust

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A.G. SCHNEIDERMAN ANNOUNCES 38 ARRESTS IN CENTRAL NEW YORK DRUG

TRAFFICKING TAKEDOWN

AGs Organized Crime Task Force Dismantles Two Narcotics Networks Running

From Georgia To NYC To Syracuse

Investigators Seize More Than $200,000 In Cocaine To Be Distributed

Throughout Central NY

SYRACUSE Attorney General Eric T. Schneiderman today announced that 38 individuals have been

charged for their connection to two drug networks responsible for distributing cocaine throughout

Central New York. The arrests and seizure of more than $200,000 in cocaine has helped to shut down

a drug pipeline running from Georgia to New York City to Syracuse and Auburn for sale throughoutthe region.

The indictments are the latest in a series of major enforcement actions led by Attorney General

Schneidermans Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF), and are part of his efforts to combat large-scale

narcotics trafficking and related crimes. In the last year, the Attorney General announced large-scale

takedowns in the Buffalo, Rochester, and Capital Regions.

My office will continue to crack down on those seeking to foster and feed devastating addiction,

and these actions should send a clear message that these narcotics rings will be stopped, Attorney

General Schneidermansaid. I want to thank my Organized Crime Task Force and our law

enforcement partners for their work to protect our neighborhoods and to hold accountable thosewho seek to profit off their destruction.

The Attorney Generals OCTF led the dual-investigations code named Operation Rockwell and

Operation Re-Do, which relied on covert physical surveillance and wiretaps. The year-long

investigations were conducted in cooperation with the New York State Police, Onondaga County

District Attorney William Fitzpatrick, Cayuga County District Attorney Jon Budelmann and other local

law enforcement officials.

New York State Police Superintendent Joseph A. DAmico said, Our partnership with the New

York State Attorney Generals Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) continues to prove its value with

outstanding cases such as this. Recognition and thanks go to our local and federal partners withsupport from troopers and investigators from Troop E.

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatricksaid, "This investigation demonstrates

how cooperation, collaboration and teamwork amongst law enforcement agencies yields successful

results. Our joint cooperative efforts with the Attorney General's Office and OCTF have a long history

and we are proud and pleased to now be working together with AG Schneiderman."


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Cayuga County District Attorney Jon E. Budelmann said, "We are pleased to be partnering with

the Attorney Generals Office and the Police to address this important public safety issue. The sale of

illegal narcotics is not a victimless crime. Illicit drug activity results in thefts, violence and countless

other crimes affecting our entire community. And of course, this poison causes untold pain and

suffering for the addicts and those who care about and depend upon them. By attacking the supply

of drugs, we limit their availability and can begin to address the devastating, long lasting effects ofillegal narcotics."

Operation Rockwell resulted in a 63-count indictment charging 21 individuals and a 5-count

indictment charging 4 individuals, both of which were unsealed in Onondaga County Supreme Court.

The charges against those 21 individuals include various counts of Criminal Sale and Possession of a

Controlled Substance and Conspiracy to commit those crimes. The defendants are also charged with

Operating as a Major Trafficker, a felony Attorney General Schneiderman authored as a lawmaker

and which went into effect as part of the Rockefeller-era drug laws. It is the only felony narcotics

charge in the state that carries a possible life sentence.

Operation Re-do resulted in a 98-count indictment charging 13 individuals, which was unsealed in

Cayuga County Supreme Court and charges individuals with various counts of Criminal Sale andPossession of a Controlled Substance (class A and B felonies), and Conspiracy to commit those

crimes.

Several other agencies participated in the investigation including: Syracuse Police Department,

Cortland County Sheriff's Department, Cayuga County Sheriff's Department, Auburn Police

Department, Fingerlakes Drug Task Force, Drug Enforcement Administration, Solvay Police

Department, the Community Narcotics Enforcement Teams (C-NET), Onondaga County Sheriff's

Department, Camillus Police Department, and DeKalb County Police Department in Georgia.

Those charged in the 98-count Cayuga County indictment are:

1. CHARLES BAKER, 37, Auburn

2. GREGORY BATES, 37, Auburn

3. DAIQUAN BOWMAN, 28, Syracuse

4. NATHANIEL COSBY, 37, Syracuse

5. MATTHEW GAUTHIER, 28, Auburn

6. OLUSEGUN GBENGBE, 34, Syracuse

7. RODNEY JONES, 35, Canandaigua

8. THOMAS MARTIN, 35, Rochester

9. JOHN MOULTON, 37, Auburn

10. CHRISTOPHER MURRAY, 36, Syracuse

11. LEWIS SMITH, 31, Auburn12. SHANE STOKES, 41, Auburn

13. LAMAR WILLIAMS, 35, Syracuse

Those charged in the 63-count Onondaga County indictment are:


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1. MATTHEW BENJAMIN, 28, Cortland

2. CARZELL BROWN, 31, Syracuse

3. WILLIE CALDWELL, 46, Syracuse

4. EARL CANNADY, 55, Syracuse

5. DEBORAH COOPER, 57, Syracuse

6. XAVIER CRAWFORD, 24, Syracuse7. SHONDELL DAYS, 35, Syracuse

8. IRA KEITH DELEE, 45, Syracuse

9. RASHON DELEE, 26, Syracuse

10. STEPHANIE FINK, 36, Cortland

11. JAQUAN FULTON, 19, Syracuse

12. DEURICE HARRIS, 38, Syracuse

13. RAJSEAN JONES, 32, Syracuse

14. LUTHER JUDGE, 40, Syracuse

15. ELVONUS MEDRICK, 39, Cortland

16. KEVIN PULLEY, 31, Syracuse

17. RONALD ROBINSON, 30, Syracuse18. ALISHA SELMON, 25, Syracuse

19. EDDIE THOMAS, 35, Syracuse

20. ANTHONY WALKER, 32, Syracuse

21. MARVIS WILLIAMS, 51, Syracuse

Those charged in the 5-count Onondaga County indictment are:

1. CARL CRAWFORD, 39, Atlanta, GA

2. DRACY MCDONALD, 40, Syracuse

3. BOB SAFFOLD, JR, 71, Syracuse

4. KENNETH WILLIAMS, 40, Lithonia, GA

The charges against the defendants are accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until

and unless proven guilty.

The investigations were conducted by OCTF Investigator William Elsenbeck and Auburn Police

Department Lt. Roger Anthony, under the supervision of Supervising Investigator Thomas M. Wolf

and Eugene Black.

The cases are being prosecuted by OCTF Assistant Deputy Attorneys General Irene S. Bardot, Maria

Moran and Assistant Deputy Attorney General and Senior Investigative Counsel James J. Mindell,

under the supervision of OCTF Deputy Attorney General Peri Alyse Kadanoff.

Documents

Attorney General Announces Major Drug Bust