Lots of planning
Drug sweep months in the making
RICHMOND: Raid follows summer of surveillance; police arrest at least 16 suspects
By Karl Fischer
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
A summer-long collaboration between the FBI and local police led to Wednesday's massive law enforcement raid in North Richmond, federal records show.
Authorities used hidden cameras and recording devices to record drug transactions between paid informants and suspects in August and September, providing the evidence that triggered the sweeps in North Richmond, Richmond and Vallejo.
At least 16 people were arrested Wednesday and early Thursday. Six suspects appeared before a federal magistrate in San Francisco on drug-dealing charges Thursday, after which their indictments and search-warrant affidavits were unsealed.
"The investigation ... focused on narcotics trafficking and violence perpetrated by members and associates of a criminal street gang that claims North Richmond ... as its territory and which is responsible for much of the crime that occurs in the area," FBI Special Agent Doug Hunt wrote in an affidavit.
More than 200 FBI agents, Contra Costa sheriff's deputies and Richmond police converged on the crime-ridden enclave, sweeping through houses on Second, Giaramita and Truman streets and Duboce Avenue.
They confiscated crack cocaine, methamphetamine and cocaine, along with a shotgun and more than $10,000 in cash, said Luke Macauley, assistant U.S. attorney.
The suspects were associated with subdivisions of the Project Trojan street gang, which police say has controlled street drug trade in North Richmond for two decades. Some were indicted by a federal grand jury, while others were charged by prosecutors:
• Antonio Latauris Hendrix Jr., 30, was indicted by a grand jury on suspicion of distributing 26.6 grams of methamphetamine;
• Warren Steven Smith, 38, was indicted on suspicion of distributing 6.8 grams of crack cocaine;
• Michael Louise Black Jr., 33, was indicted on suspicion of distributing 2.2 grams of crack cocaine;
• Jeffrey Eugene Brown, 37, was charged with distributing 92.5 grams of crack cocaine;
• Fred Leon Wiggins, 26, and Dosie Dee King, 37, were charged with conspiring to distribute and distributing 13.6 grams of crack cocaine;
• Carl Leon Nix Jr., 35, was charged with distributing 3.4 grams of crack cocaine.
King was arrested Thursday morning and did not appear in court. Nine other people were arrested by local authorities, Contra Costa sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee said, all on suspicion of offenses such as loitering in a drug-dealing area, bothering a police dog or parole violations.
The sweep was the third large law enforcement action in North Richmond this year. In March, a two-year federal wiretap investigation netted several mid- and high-level drug-dealing suspects, while a sweep in February resulted in state charges for a half-dozen drug-dealing suspects.
Authorities say the large law enforcement sweeps help weed out gang members and weaken their hold on the community.
Staff writer Bruce Gerstman contributed to this report. Reach Karl Fischer at 510-262-2728 or kfischer@cctimes.com.
RICHMOND: Raid follows summer of surveillance; police arrest at least 16 suspects
By Karl Fischer
CONTRA COSTA TIMES
A summer-long collaboration between the FBI and local police led to Wednesday's massive law enforcement raid in North Richmond, federal records show.
Authorities used hidden cameras and recording devices to record drug transactions between paid informants and suspects in August and September, providing the evidence that triggered the sweeps in North Richmond, Richmond and Vallejo.
At least 16 people were arrested Wednesday and early Thursday. Six suspects appeared before a federal magistrate in San Francisco on drug-dealing charges Thursday, after which their indictments and search-warrant affidavits were unsealed.
"The investigation ... focused on narcotics trafficking and violence perpetrated by members and associates of a criminal street gang that claims North Richmond ... as its territory and which is responsible for much of the crime that occurs in the area," FBI Special Agent Doug Hunt wrote in an affidavit.
More than 200 FBI agents, Contra Costa sheriff's deputies and Richmond police converged on the crime-ridden enclave, sweeping through houses on Second, Giaramita and Truman streets and Duboce Avenue.
They confiscated crack cocaine, methamphetamine and cocaine, along with a shotgun and more than $10,000 in cash, said Luke Macauley, assistant U.S. attorney.
The suspects were associated with subdivisions of the Project Trojan street gang, which police say has controlled street drug trade in North Richmond for two decades. Some were indicted by a federal grand jury, while others were charged by prosecutors:
• Antonio Latauris Hendrix Jr., 30, was indicted by a grand jury on suspicion of distributing 26.6 grams of methamphetamine;
• Warren Steven Smith, 38, was indicted on suspicion of distributing 6.8 grams of crack cocaine;
• Michael Louise Black Jr., 33, was indicted on suspicion of distributing 2.2 grams of crack cocaine;
• Jeffrey Eugene Brown, 37, was charged with distributing 92.5 grams of crack cocaine;
• Fred Leon Wiggins, 26, and Dosie Dee King, 37, were charged with conspiring to distribute and distributing 13.6 grams of crack cocaine;
• Carl Leon Nix Jr., 35, was charged with distributing 3.4 grams of crack cocaine.
King was arrested Thursday morning and did not appear in court. Nine other people were arrested by local authorities, Contra Costa sheriff's spokesman Jimmy Lee said, all on suspicion of offenses such as loitering in a drug-dealing area, bothering a police dog or parole violations.
The sweep was the third large law enforcement action in North Richmond this year. In March, a two-year federal wiretap investigation netted several mid- and high-level drug-dealing suspects, while a sweep in February resulted in state charges for a half-dozen drug-dealing suspects.
Authorities say the large law enforcement sweeps help weed out gang members and weaken their hold on the community.
Staff writer Bruce Gerstman contributed to this report. Reach Karl Fischer at 510-262-2728 or kfischer@cctimes.com.
posted by Plunda Claus @ 9:28 AM
2 Comments:
At October 30, 2006 12:17 PM,
Anonymous said…
this is not a blog its a want to be newspaper, on the internet of all places how pathetic : (
At October 30, 2006 3:07 PM,
Plunda Claus said…
Dear Socko,
Way to carp, meatbag! Not only are you WRONG, but you've added NOTHING! Seriously, try it out! We'll even help you...because you really need help.
"How do you feel about violent crime in Richmond? Do you think that the City of Richmond is doing enough? We at the Tazer detest violent crime, and we don't think that elected officials are doing enough."
Was that about what you were looking for? Let us know what that tasted like.
The Tazer's usually been in the business of aggregating news and telling you what to think if we feel like it. Give it a minute and we'll be back with some "Old School" Tazer: aggregating news and telling you what to think EVERY TIME!
Try and wash that off,
The Richmond Truth Tazer
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