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

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE        
July 16, 2010                                                 CONTACTS:
                                                         
                                                                        Kati Cornell
                                                                        Special Narcotics Prosecutor’s Office
                                                                        (212) 815-0525

                                                                        Paul J. Browne
                                                                        New York City Police Department
                                                                        (646) 610-6700

TWELVE ARRESTED IN SWEEP OF TOMPKINS HOUSES IN BROOKLYN: CRACK COCAINE AND FIREARM SEIZED

New York City Special Narcotics Prosecutor Bridget G. Brennan and New York City Police Commissioner Raymond W. Kelly announced today the arrests and indictments of 12 drug dealers who operated in and around the Tompkins Houses, a NYCHA Housing Development in Bedford-Stuyvesant, Brooklyn. The defendants belonged to four related drug trafficking rings and made over 100 sales of crack-cocaine and heroin to undercover officers during the year-long investigation. The arrests began on Monday and were completed late yesterday.

Investigators searched an apartment at 276 Throop Ave. that was used as a stash house early Tuesday morning and seized a loaded firearm and 33 zip lock bags of crack – the majority of which were lying in open view on a couch – and drug paraphernalia. The apartment, which is located two blocks from the Tompkins Houses, served as a base of operation for three indicted defendants: Roshard McGowan, Lamont Hudgins and Jose Lopez.

The NYPD’s Narcotics Division’s Brooklyn North Major Case Squad started gathering intelligence on drug activity at the housing development for this case in July 2009 and launched an undercover buy operation in January 2010. By the end of the investigation, detectives had made over 100 purchases of crack-cocaine and heroin for between $20 and $80 per transaction. Drug sales were carried out in the lobbies, stairwells, elevators and hallways of the Tompkins Houses, which comprises eight apartment buildings and is home to nearly 3,000 residents. Members of the four rings on occasion referred customers to each other. An investigation into reputed ties with the Bloods gang continues.

Earlier this month, a grand jury returned four indictments naming nine of the arrested defendants. An additional three defendants were apprehended at the time of the search and are charged in criminal complaints. The Kings County District Attorney’s Office is working in coordination with the Special Narcotics Prosecutor, NYCHA and the NYPD on drug issues in the buildings and community outreach efforts.

The charges and allegations are merely accusations and the defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.