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Robert Nardoza (718) 254-6323 |
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE April 11, 2007
PRESS RELEASE
TEN DEFENDANTS ON LONG ISLAND INDICTED ON
CRACK COCAINE DISTRIBUTION CHARGES
Seven of the Defendants are Members of the Bloods Street Gang
Roslynn R. Mauskopf, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York, and
Mark J. Mershon, Assistant Director-in-Charge, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New York
Field Office, today announced the unsealing of five indictments charging ten defendants from
Westbury, New York, with distribution of crack cocaine and related narcotics charges.
Seven of
the ten defendants are allegedly members of the United Blood Nation (the “Bloods”), a violent
street gang. Earlier today, law enforcement officers executed search warrants at two locations in
Westbury, and in connection those warrants and the defendants’ arrests seized two loaded
handguns, quantities of suspected crack and powder cocaine, and drug paraphernalia, including
scales, packaging materials, and items used to manufacture, or “cook,” crack cocaine.
The defendants are scheduled to be arraigned this afternoon at the U.S. Courthouse, 100 Federal Plaza, Central Islip, New York. Three of the cases are assigned to United States District Judge Arthur D. Spatt, and two are assigned to United States District Judge Joseph F. Bianco.
As alleged in the indictments and detention letters filed by the government, the arrests are
the result of an eight-month investigation by the FBI Long Island Gang Task Force
into
narcotics distribution by Bloods gang members in the Westbury, New York, area. On several
occasions during the investigation, individuals working with law enforcement personnel wearing
concealed audio and video recording devices purchased crack and powder cocaine from the
defendants in Westbury and New Cassel. Three of the defendants -- JAMES POWELL,
LAMAR EDWARDS, and QUINCY RUDOLPH -- were recorded as they cooked powder
cocaine into crack, and can be heard discussing the steps to be followed to manufacture high-quality crack cocaine.
The indictments and detention letters allege that POWELL is the leader of the “Gangster Killer Bloods” (GKB) set of the Bloods in Westbury, and WOODMERE DESROSIERS, DONOVAN SHOUDER, and RUDOLPH are members of that set; QUENTIN BROWN is the leader of the “Nine Trey Gangstas” Bloods set in Westbury, and DERRICK EDWARDS is a member of that set; and MATTHEW MADURO is the leader of “5-9 Brim” Bloods set in Westbury. According to the government’s detention letters, LAMAR EDWARDS, BENJAMIN GIBBS, and RAHMEL MUHAMMAD are three of the largest distributors of crack and powder cocaine in the Westbury area.
“The indictments and arrests represent the continuation of our efforts to dismantle street gangs that are engaged in narcotics trafficking on Long Island,” stated United States Attorney Mauskopf. “We are committed to protecting our communities by vigorously prosecuting drug dealers and gang members.” Ms. Mauskopf praised the investigative efforts of the Nassau County Police Department and the other members of the FBI Long Island Gang Task Force, and she thanked the Nassau County District Attorney’s Office for its assistance in this investigation.
FBI Assistant Director-in-Charge Mershon stated, “The presence of organized drug gangs poses a threat more serious than declining real estate values in neighboring towns. The solution isn’t to put a fence around those afflicted communities. The solution is to take those communities back from the gangs and dealers, and make the communities safe again for the law-abiding residents who deserve no less. Working with our partners, that is our intention.”
If convicted on the narcotics charges, POWELL, LAMAR EDWARDS, DESROSIERS, SHOUDER, GIBBS, MUHAMMAD, and BROWN each face a mandatory minimum sentence of ten years and a maximum sentence of life imprisonment, and a $4 million fine on each count. RUDOLPH and DERRICK EDWARDS each face a mandatory minimum sentence of five years and a maximum sentence of 40 years’ imprisonment, and a $2 million fine on each count. MADURO faces a maximum of 20 years’ imprisonment, and a $1 million fine on each count
The government’s case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney John J. Durham.
The Defendants:
QUENTIN BROWN
Alias: “K-Tone”
DOB: 5/16/83
WOODMERE DESROSIERS
Aliases: “Woody” and “Bastard”
DOB: 2/21/85
DERRICK EDWARDS
Alias: “Bo”
DOB: 9/2/75
LAMAR EDWARDS
Aliases: “9 to 5" and “Pop”
DOB: 10/22/63
BENJAMIN GIBBS
Aliases: “Is” and “Islam”
DOB: 4/13/72
MATTHEW MADURO
Aliases: “Brim” and “Duro”
DOB: 2/15/84
RAHMEL MUHAMMAD
Alias: “Rah”
DOB: 11/8/79
JAMES POWELL
Alias: “Munchie”
DOB: 2/22/76
QUINCY RUDOLPH
Alias: “Jader”
DOB: 10/8/82
DONOVAN SHOUDER
Alias: “Dior”
DOB: 3/29/87