Dozens Accused Of Cocaine Trafficking In Pittsburgh Region
POSTED: 9:53 pm EST November 19,
2008
PITTSBURGH -- Thirty-five people indicted last week by a federal grand jury face arrest Wednesday after authorities unsealed the document and captured all but five defendants by the evening.A federal grand jury indicted 35 Pittsburghers on federal drug charges that stemmed from a large-scale, multi-agency investigation of drug trafficking in the city's Brookline, Beltzhoover and Mount Washington neighborhoods.U.S. Attorney Mary Beth Buchanan and Gary Davis, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency Assistant Special Agent in Charge, announced that 30 of the indicted defendants were in custody by 6 p.m. Wednesday."The operation began at 6 a.m. on Wednesday with the execution of multiple arrest and search warrants by more than 215 federal, state and local law enforcement officers," Buchanan said.During one of the raids in Indiana Township, FBI Special Agent Sam Hicks was fatally shot (Read/Watch WTAE Channel 4 Action News reports about the agent's fatal shooting).The 27-count indictment, returned a week ago and released Wednesday, named the following people.
Anthony E. Terry Jr., aka Tone, 24, of Pittsburgh
Jamill Denson, aka Bo, aka Mill, 36, of Pittsburgh
Victor Nelson, 40, of Pittsburgh
Matthew Robert Balzer, 26, of Pittsburgh
Daniel Errol Carter, 49, of Pittsburgh
Jeremy Lee Caskey, 26, of Pittsburgh
Katie Ann Chandler, 27, of Pittsburgh
Lindsey Nicole Coccoli, 26, of Pittsburgh
Richard Emanuel Coleman, aka Manny, 32, of Pittsburgh
Michael Joseph Costanzo, aka Noser, 24, of Pittsburgh
William Rashad Denson, aka Little Bill, 21, of Pittsburgh
Bruno Leonard Desimone, 25, of Pittsburgh
Richard Bruno Desimone, 34, of Pittsburgh
Joshua Michael Foriska, 25, of Pittsburgh
Leon Champ Hudson, aka Lee Lee, 44, of Pittsburgh
Robert Ralph Korbe, 39, of Glenshaw
Jarrett Alan Koerbel, 25, of Pittsburgh
Quincy Vanco Leonard, 33, of Pittsburgh
Jonathan Michael Liebro, 22, of Pittsburgh
Bryan Patrick Lucas, 27, of Pittsburgh
Nicolas Alan Mihelcic, 24, of Pittsburgh
Jeffrey T. Molinaro, 22, of Pittsburgh
Gino Michael Riccelli, 26, of McKees Rocks
Nathan Paul Rowan, 38, of Clairton
Nadine Marie Russo, 25, of Pittsburgh
Jason Lamar Steverson, 30, of Pittsburgh
Alfred Terrell Thomas IV, aka Nu Nu, 24, of Pittsburgh
Thomas Carl Thomas Jr., 31, of Pittsburgh
Roger Laron Underwood, 25, of Pittsburgh
Joel O. Velazquez-Reyes, 31, of Pittsburgh
Aaron Kareem Wade, 28, of Pittsburgh
Krystal Marie Waz, 20, of McDonald
Ross Edward Webber, 29, of Pittsburgh
Richard Edward Whatton, 21, of Clairton
Sean Alec Whitney, 27, of , Pittsburgh
The indictment accuses the defendants of conspiring to traffic cocaine and crack from October 2007 through September 2008.Michael Rodriguez, special agent in charge of the Pittsburgh FBI office, said the alleged operation was "a violent drug distribution ring" but did not offer any other details during a brief news conference Wednesday morning.Some of the defendants face additional charges per the amount of cocaine they are alleged to have distributed.Terry, Balzer, Caskey, Coccoli, Costanzo, Richard Desimone, Hudson, Koerbel, Lucas, Mihelcic, Molinaro, Riccelli, Russo, Velazquez-Reyes, Waz, Webber, Whatton and Whitney are also charged with conspiracy to acquire and obtain possession of a controlled substance by misrepresentation, fraud, forgery, deception and subterfuge, and to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute a quantity of Oxycontin, a quantity of Percocet, a quantity of Vicodin, and a quantity of Xanax, from in or around June 2007 and continuing until in or around August 2008.Except for Coccoli, Molinaro and Waz, the defendants could face either a prison sentence of 10 years to life or a $4 million fine or both. Related Links: More County News Add Us To Your iGoogle Or My Yahoo Page | Download Our Free Desktop Alert For Breaking News
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