LEADER OF BRONX CRACK COCAINE RING LATEST OF 17 TO
PLEAD GUILTY TO NARCOTICS TRAFFICKING OFFENSES

MICHAEL J. GARCIA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced today that 17 members of a crack cocaine organization that once controlled the sales of crack in the Parkside Houses in the Bronx, New York, have been found guilty of narcotics trafficking offenses. The leader of the organization, JAFARI FRAY, pled guilty yesterday before United States District Judge RICHARD M. BERMAN to narcotics trafficking offenses relating to his organization. According to statements made at various plea proceedings and documents filed in the case in Manhattan federal court:

From March 2005 until May 2006, officers of the New York Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Strike Force (the “Strike Force”) -– which is composed of officers from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), the Department of Homeland Security’s U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (“ICE”), and the United States Drug Enforcement Administration (“DEA”) -- conducted a joint investigation of a narcotics organization that distributed cocaine base, commonly referred to as “crack,” in the vicinity of 2802 Olinville Avenue, the Parkside Houses, and surrounding buildings in the Bronx, New York. During the course of this investigation, confidential informants, at the direction of Strike Force agents, purchased crack cocaine from more than 20 drug dealers in and around the Parkside Houses.

The members of the organization, many of whom were also members of the violent Bloods gang, sold multiple kilograms of crack cocaine over a period of several years. The organization was led by JAFARI FRAY, a/k/a “Pop Pesos,” a/k/a “Snari.” FRAY, 28, oversaw several managers and many street-level dealers who sold crack to and collected money from customers in and around the Parkside Houses.

As a result of his plea, FRAY faces a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison. FRAY is scheduled to be sentenced on November 8, 2007, before Judge BERMAN.

In connection with this wide-ranging investigation, sixteen other individuals associated with FRAY’s crack- distribution organization have pled guilty to crack cocaine offenses. Those who have been sentenced thus far have received terms of imprisonment ranging from 60 to 96 months. Cases remain pending against several other defendants (who are presumed innocent of any charges against them unless and until found guilty).

Mr. GARCIA praised the FBI, the NYPD, ICE, and the DEA for their work in the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by the Narcotics Unit of the United States Attorney’s Office. Assistant United States Attorneys ALEXANDER J. WILLSCHER and MICHAEL Q. ENGLISH are in charge of the prosecution.

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