Queens Drug Trafficker Sentenced to 84 Months’ Imprisonment for Distributing “Batman” Branded Heroin

Earlier today, in federal court in Brooklyn, Lamont Moran was sentenced by United States District Judge I. Leo Glasser to 84 months’ imprisonment to be followed by four years of supervised release, after his conviction for conspiring to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin.  The defendant ran a heroin distribution operation near the Baisley Park Houses in South Jamaica, Queens from 2015 until his arrest in September 2016.  Moran pled guilty to the charge in April 2017.

Bridget M. Rohde, Acting United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York), William F. Sweeney, Jr., Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York Field Division (FBI), and James P. O’Neill, Commissioner, New York City Police Department (NYPD), announced the sentence.

“The defendant Lamont Moran promoted and profited from the opioid epidemic in our District,” stated Acting United States Attorney Rohde.  “Today he was held accountable.  Together with our law enforcement partners, this Office will continue to investigate and prosecute those like the defendant who seek to line their own pockets by selling these dangerous drugs and harming our community.”

According to court filings, the defendant was affiliated with the violent street gang “Get it in Stacks” (also known as “GI$”), a subset of the nationwide Bloods gang operating near the Baisley Park Houses in South Jamaica, Queens.  The defendant supervised street-level dealers near the Baisley Park Houses—including at least one GI$ member and several elderly heroin addicts—who distributed heroin and fentanyl labeled with brand names such as “Batman,” “Call of Duty” and “Sleepys.”  The defendant also sold heroin and fentanyl directly to users.  From March 2016 to August 2016, for example, the defendant made more than 15 drug sales to a confidential FBI source.  On many of these occasions, the defendant sold the source fentanyl instead of heroin—without ever revealing this fact to the source. 

The defendant acknowledged in post-arrest statements that he personally did not use heroin: “I don’t use this [expletive].  I don’t touch this [expletive]. . . .  I don’t view it as drugs, I view it as money.”  A search of the defendant’s phone revealed more evidence of gang affiliation, plus photographs of the defendant with wads of cash and multiple firearms.

Four other defendants have been charged with heroin distribution crimes in this case, and each has pleaded guilty.  On August 8, 2017, co-defendant Michael Singletary was sentenced to a year and a day of imprisonment for a single incident of heroin distribution.  On October 3, 2017, co-defendant David Young—one of the defendant’s street-level dealers—was sentenced to 36 months’ imprisonment.  On October 27, 2017, co-defendant William Parker—a career offender and another one of the defendant’s street-level dealers—was sentenced to 96 months’ imprisonment.  Co-defendant Dennis Pristell—a street-level dealer who worked for the defendant—is awaiting sentencing.   

The government’s case is being handled by the Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Section.  Assistant United States Attorney Matthew Jacobs is in charge of the prosecution.

Defendant Sentenced Today:

LAMONT MORAN
Age: 30
Residence: Queens, New York

Defendants Previously Sentenced:

WILLIAM PARKER
Age: 53
Residence: Queens, New York

MICHAEL SINGLETARY
Age: 43
Residence: Baldwin Harbor, New York

DAVID YOUNG
Age: 66
Residence: Queens, New York

Defendant Awaiting Sentencing:

DENNIS PRISTELL

Age: 57

Residence: Queens, New York

E.D.N.Y. Docket No. 16-CR-506 (S-1) (ILG)