Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor for the City of New York Bridget G. Brennan, Special Narcotics Prosecutor

80 CENTRE STREET, SIXTH FLOOR NEW YORK, NY 10013 212-815-0400, GEN. 212-815-0440, FAX

PRESS RELEASE
May 18, 2009

Office of the Special Narcotics Prosecutor
Catherine A. Christian
Counsel for Special Projects
(212) 815-0178                      
cchristian@specnarc.org

New York City Police Department
Paul J. Browne
Deputy Commissioner Public Information
(646) 610-6700

ILLEGAL DRUGS DELIVERED TO CITY NIGHTCLUBS

            Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan and Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly today announced that a drug trafficking organization that distributed cocaine, thousands of Ecstasy pills, Ketamine, and GHB in city clubs and bars was shut down after the weekend arrest of a major Ecstasy supplier. Six members of the organization were arrested April 4, with a seventh arrested on April 8.  Three were arraigned on indicted charges last week and three will be arraigned in Supreme Court on felony charges this week, while a seventh is next scheduled for court on June 8. 

            The eight month long investigation revealed drug trafficking in two Manhattan nightclubs, Pacha, located at 618 West 46th street and Rebel, located at 251 West 30th Street. Drug trafficking was also occurring in the vicinity of several other nightclubs.  

            On Saturday night, police arrested Michail Shimonov, one the group’s major Ecstasy suppliers. Shimonov, a Baruch College student, bills himself as a promoter of major events at some of Manhattan’s top nightclubs was arrested Saturday night, as he was on his way to Suzie Wong’s, a club located at 526 West 26th Street in Manhattan, with 88 Ecstasy pills. He was scheduled to promote an event at the club.  Shimonov was arraigned Sunday on charges related to the sale and possession of large amounts of Ecstasy and $200,000 bail was set for him. 

            Albert Kim headed a related group which was the subject of charges last month. Kim’s organization operated out of associate Alex Kim’s high-end, 10th floor apartment at 225 East 34th Street, in Manhattan. Albert Kim, Alex Kim, Joey Choi and Tae Woo Kim were indicted last month for conspiracy to sell Ecstasy along with Kar Wai Chu, who provided cocaine for the organization.  Another individual, Charles Joseph Sutera, was indicted for the sale of GHB/GBL.  Terry Oh was indicted for the possession of Ketamine with the intent to sell it.

            The joint investigation by NYPD’s Manhattan Vice Enforcement Division and the Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office began in October 2008 and included extensive undercover and electronic surveillance. Undercover officers bought hundreds of Ecstasy (MDMA) pills, jars and bottles of liquid Ketamine, zip locks of Cocaine,  GHB/GBL, and BZP on 20 different occasions in and around Alex Kim’s residence and in the vicinity of the clubs.

            Undercover narcotics purchases, which totaledthousands of dollars, included a February 12, 2009 sale of 200 Ecstasy pills bearing the stamp of a gun — a brand Shimonov often sold. Albert Kim directed associates to distribute the club drugs and contacted his suppliers, including Shiminov, to order them. Albert Kim personally, along with Joey Choi, Tae Woo Kim and Alex Kim, sold and directed others to sell drugs to customers inside bars and clubs.

            Three of the defendants worked as club promoters, including Shimonov, who worked for the promotion company Entourage; Joseph Choi who worked for promotion companies Envy and Made Event; and Charles Sutera who also worked for Made Event.  All three promoted events at the club Pacha.

            Ecstasy supplier Michail Shimonov resided in Forrest Hills, Queens, but his drug business focused around the Manhattan nightclubs. Kar Wai Chu supplied Albert Kim’s group and ran his own cocaine operation out of his Bayside home selling and delivering cocaine to his own customers, many of whom were club patrons.

Defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.