ALTOONA – A cocaine and heroin ring, which made approximately $2 million from June 2006 to December 2007, and operated in Blair County, has been broken-up by narcotics agents from the Attorney General’s Office and local police officers.
Attorney General Tom Corbett said that the investigation, known as “Operation Blood Clot” was initiated in 2003, intensified in 2006 and focused on a local drug trafficking network from sources based in New York City between 2003 and 2007.
Evidence and testimony about the alleged drug trafficking was presented to a statewide investigating grand jury, which recommended the criminal charges being filed Friday.
Corbett said that agents identified the cocaine and heroin sources as members of the notorious New York based “Bloods” street gang, including the central figures of the organization; Rakim “Bo” “Bo-Bo” Mayo, Randy “Braids” Hernandez and John “J-Miz” Miles.
Corbett noted that many of the gang members associated with this investigation are known to be extremely dangerous.
The grand jury found that seven of the heroin and cocaine suppliers are originally from Brooklyn, New York and additional members of the organization live in Blair County. Local individuals served as on-site distributors of the heroin and cocaine.
Corbett said that buyers used two cellular telephone numbers to contact the New York suppliers to place orders for heroin and cocaine. The New York connections then contacted their distributors in Blair County and indicated the quantity of heroin and cocaine to deliver, the price and the location of the transaction.
Agents said that distributors then directed a courier to take the heroin and cocaine to a designated meeting place for the transaction.
“This organization had a very precise operation in place,” Corbett said. “Each individual had a specific job, which made every drug transaction run smoothly and efficiently.”
According to the grand jury, the money that was acquired from the sale of heroin or cocaine was wired back to New York City to Mayo, Hernandez, Myers or other Brooklyn associates.
The charges state that heroin and cocaine were brought from New York to Blair County on a weekly basis, sometimes as frequently as every other day. On-site distributors for the organization allegedly recruited local individuals to act as runners and many local drug addicts allegedly allowed the New York distributors to use their homes as “stash houses,” in exchange for heroin or cocaine.
Corbett said that many times the “stash houses” were different from the residences where drugs were distributed. The operation was established in this manner to further insulate the suppliers and distributors from New York and to protect the main supply of drugs from the police.
The grand jury found that the “stash house” network moved from one residence to another, sometimes staying in one location only for a few hours, in order to avoid arrest.
Corbett said that as the investigation progressed agents were able to use a confidential informant (CI) to make a series of 17 controlled purchases of cocaine and heroin. These purchases eventually led to the execution of five search warrants at various Blair County residences.
Agents seized 1,967 bags of heroin with an estimated street value of $78,680, 196 bags of cocaine with an estimated street value of $11,200, $2,700 in cash and various materials associated with the delivery and sale of drugs.
The grand jury found that heroin or cocaine in Blair County was sometimes traded for guns, which were shipped to New York City.
“This was a dangerous organization,” Corbett said. “Anytime you have individuals trafficking, not only drugs, but gang related activity into your towns it is a serious situation. The message we have for the gang members of New York City is clear, if you plan on setting up a drug business in Pennsylvania, also plan on going to prison for a long time.”
Corbett noted that this is part of a continuing investigation.
Hernandez, Miles and Mayo were arrested on Feb. 26 by New York City Police and FBI agents in New York. The will be extradited to Pennsylvania.
The defendants are scheduled to be arraigned before Altoona Magisterial District Judges Steve Jackson and Jeff Auker and will be prosecuted in Blair County by Senior Deputy Attorney General David Gorman of the Attorney General’s Drug Strike Force Section.
Corbett thanked the New York City Police Department, FBI New York, Blair County District Attorney Richard Consiglio’s office, Greenfield Police Department, Duncansville Police Department, North Woodbury Township Police Department, Williamsburg Police Department, Roaring Spring Police Department, Martinsburg, Police Department, Tyrone Police Department, Allegheny Township Police Department, Hollidaysburg Police Department, Blair Township Police Department, Bellwood Police Department, Logan Township Police Department and the Altoona Police Department for their assistance with the investigation.
Below is a list of defendants and the charges against them:
New York City (Brooklyn) Bloods Gang Members
— John “J-Miz” Miles, 19, Brooklyn, NY, is charged with 41 counts of possession with the intent to deliver, 34 counts of delivery, six counts of illegal use of a communications facility, two counts of corrupt organizations, and one count each of criminal conspiracy and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity.
— Gregory “G-Baby” Brown, 19, Brooklyn, NY, is charged with 41 counts of possession with the intent to deliver, 34 counts of delivery, six counts of illegal use of a communications facility, two counts corrupt organizations and one count each of criminal conspiracy and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity.
— David “Dollar” Wright, 25, originally from Brooklyn, NY, currently incarcerated at Southern State Correctional Facility, Springfield, VT, is charged with 41 counts of possession with the intent to deliver, 34 counts of delivery, six counts illegal use of a communications facility, two counts corrupt organizations and one count each of criminal conspiracy and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity.
— Rakim “Bo/Bo-Bo” Mayo, 19, Brooklyn, NY, is charged with 41 counts of possession with the intent to deliver, 34 counts of delivery, six counts illegal use of a communications facility, two counts corrupt organizations and one count each of criminal conspiracy and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity.
— Johnathan “John-Boy” Tucker, 21, originally from Brooklyn, NY, currently incarcerated in the New York State penal system, is charged with 41 counts of possession with the intent to deliver, 34 counts of delivery, six counts illegal use of a communications facility, two counts corrupt organizations and one count each of criminal conspiracy and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity.
— Randy “Braids” Hernandez, 20, Brooklyn, NY, is charged with 41 counts of possession with the intent to deliver, 34 counts of delivery, six counts illegal use of a communications facility, two counts corrupt organizations and one count each of criminal conspiracy and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity.
— Lemel “Gab” Myers, 20, currently incarcerated in the State Correctional Institution at Mahanoy, is charged with, 34 counts of possession with the intent to deliver, 27 counts of delivery, five counts of criminal use of a communications facility, two counts of corrupt organizations and one count each of criminal conspiracy and dealing in proceeds of unlawful activity.
Distributors for the organization
— Ashlee Claar, 21, currently incarcerated in the State Correctional Institute at Muncy, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Sandra Williams, 34, Claysburg, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Anthony Harding, 23, Altoona, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Dorrell Colbert, 21, Altoona, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Michael Mock, 26, Altoona, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Dustin Kelly, 23, currently incarcerated in the State Correctional Institute at Graterford, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Elsebeth Eaton, 46, Hollidaysburg, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Charles Gummo, 27, Huntingdon, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Jared Hoffmaster, 23, Huntingdon, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Brandon England, 24, Williamsburg, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Chandra Taylor, 27, Tyrone, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Jessica Albright, 29, Tyrone, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Steven Carroll, 27, Bellwood, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Mindy Allen, 25, Altoona, is charged with one count of possession of a controlled substance.
— Randy Osterhout, 26, Tyrone, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Brian Ousterhout, 22, Tipton is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Brittany Guida, 21, Tyrone, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Nicholas Allen, 24, Altoona, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Joshua Schraff, 25, Altoona, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Doug Evans, 39, currently incarcerated in the State Correctional Institute at Albion, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Jess Cartwright, 22, currently incarcerated in the Blair County Prison, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.
— Raymond Balliet, 28, Altoona, is charged with two counts of possession with the intent to deliver, two counts of delivery and one count of criminal conspiracy.