U.S. Department
of Justice
|
|||||
|
|||||
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
MEDIA INQUIRIES: KATHY COLVIN |
||||
TUESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 2009
|
PHONE: (214)659-8600
|
||||
LAW ENFORCEMENT ARRESTS MEMBERS OF CRACK COCAINE DISTRIBUTION CONSPIRACY OPERATING IN THE GREENVILLE, TEXAS, AREA
DALLAS — Eight defendants, named in three indictments returned by a federal grand jury in Dallas last month and just unsealed, were arrested today by members of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) Mobile Enforcement Team (MET), announced U.S. Attorney James T. Jacks of the Northern District of Texas and James L. Capra, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s Dallas Division. The arrests, mostly in the Greenville, Texas, area, are the result of the MET, assisted by local and state authorities working undercover to investigate and ultimately dismantle the large crack cocaine distribution organization. In addition, in the course of executing several federal and state search warrants, narcotics, drug trafficking paraphernalia and firearms were seized. Defendants will begin making their initial court appearances this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Paul D. Stickney in U.S. District Court in Dallas. The first indictment charges nine individuals with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and distribution of cocaine base (crack cocaine): (All defendants are Greenville residents, unless otherwise noted) In addition, each of the defendants is charged with at least one substantive count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. Another indictment charges Brandon Laray Jackson, 21, with four counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. The third indictment charges Gerald Wayne Johnson, 23, with three counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine base. If convicted, Johnson faces a maximum statutory sentence of not less that five or more than 40 years in prison.
Gerald Johnson is still to be apprehended. An additional 23 individuals were arrested on state charges. Greenville Police Chief Harold Roseberry said, “Today marks a new day for many neighborhoods in Greenville that have been infiltrated by criminals and their drug trafficking. We would like to thank the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Mobile Enforcement Team and the members of our local and state agencies that have given resources to this effort to increase the quality of life of our citizens. Though this day will be remembered as a successful fight against organized crime, it too will mark the day that many families will be filled with dismay and disappointment in the decisions that their family members have made. This investigation should send the message to criminals that the communities in Hunt County will not tolerate such illegal activity and that we will go to great lengths to seek those individuals out. We still have much work to do; investigations will continue.” Commerce Police Chief Kerry L. Crews said, “The combined efforts of the agencies involved in this investigation have made a tremendous impact on the trafficking of drugs in Hunt County, thus making our communities much safer. With the help of the DEA’s Mobile Enforcement Team, drug dealers are being put behind bars.”
###
|