DRUGS, Marijuana, Cocaine, Xanax , Adderall, Ecstasy, Heroin, LSD, PCP, Magic Mushrooms, Alcohol

12 Pounds of Cocaine, 4 Guns, $26k Cash, 1 Pound of Marijuana,
Drug Paraphernalia, Ammunition and 2 Cars Seized

New York Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent-In-Charge John P. Gilbride and Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo announced today the indictment of 15 individuals involved in an alleged narcotics distribution ring where cocaine was transported from the Bronx and sold throughout the Central New York region.

The case involved the seizure of 12 pounds of cocaine worth $500,000, two revolvers, two shotguns, $26,000 in cash, drug paraphernalia, ammunition, and two vehicles.

DEA Special Agent-In-Charge John P. Gilbride said, “DEA and our state and local law enforcement partners are committed to identifying and arresting those responsible for distributing illegal narcotics. The Lockhart duo led this cocaine and crack cocaine distributing organization which led to their arrests and the dismantling of those who worked for them. Syracuse and our surrounding counties in Central New York can be assured that due to these arrests there are less drugs and guns on the streets, making our community safer from the perils of drug abuse.”

Today’s indictment is the result of a multi-agency investigation led by the Attorney General’s Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) known as “Operation Blackjack.” The allegations included two main players of the drug ring who bought cocaine from suppliers in the Bronx and transported the drugs via car to Central New York to sell to mid-level dealers for distribution in Onondaga, Oswego, Oneida, and Madison counties.

One of the key players in the alleged distribution network, Antwan Lockhart, of N. Jay Street, Rome, was arrested December 23, 2007 when his car was stopped on Route 81 in Tully as he was transporting cocaine from the Bronx. At the scene, 4.5 pounds of cocaine were seized. An additional 2 pounds were taken from Lockhart’s stash house on Midler Ave, Syracuse, and .67 ounces of cocaine were found in another vehicle registered in Lockhart’s name. Lockhart pleaded guilty to criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree, for which he received a nine year prison sentence, three year post-release supervision, and forfeited two cars.

The other alleged key leader in the drug distribution network is Edward N. Lockhart, 30, of Caughdenoy Road, Hastings (last known address). As part of the investigation, law enforcement seized 5 ounces of cocaine and a shotgun from Edward Lockhart. He was charged with 20 counts criminal possession and sale of a controlled substance, including six counts of criminal sale of a controlled substance in the second degree (class A-II felony), which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and lifetime probation for each sales count.

Of the 15 indicted, 14 were charged with conspiracy in the second degree, a class B felony that carries the maximum penalty of 25 years in prison. Additionally, Marton Davis and Kamisha Rashad were each charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance in the second degree, and face the maximum penalty of 10 years in prison. Luis Abreu was charged with criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third degree and Sirena Sharpe was charged with criminal sale of controlled substance in the third degree. Both face the maximum penalty of 9 years in prison. Osbie McClain and Titus Stewart were charged with varying levels of narcotics and weapons related offenses and both face maximum sentences of 12 years in prison.

Onondaga District Attorney William J. Fitzpatrick said, “These arrests send a clear message that those of us who live and work in Central New York will not tolerate drug dealers and narcotics trafficking in our community. We are very appreciative of Attorney General Cuomo’s commitment to helping us rid Syracuse and Onondaga County of those who infuse poison and violence into our community. His office has worked diligently and combined forces with my office and our local enforcement to deliver a crippling blow to the illegal drug market. That kind of cooperative effort and his Upstate Guns, Gangs and Drugs Initiative has made Attorney General Cuomo one of the most effective and respected leaders in our state. I believe the success of Operation ‘Blackjack’ is evident of that.”

Onondaga County Sheriff Kevin E. Walsh said, “Today’s multi-agency sweep has been a resounding success, thanks to a coordinated effort headed up by Attorney General Cuomo’s OCTF. The Sheriff’s office welcomes this collaborative effort, and it is initiatives like the Attorney General’s Upstate Guns, Gangs and Drugs Initiative that will go a long way toward making our County and region safer. The narcotics trade throughout New York has run rampant for too long, and it’s a welcome sign that Attorney General Cuomo continues to make curbing it a priority.”

City of Syracuse Mayor Matthew J. Driscoll said, “Thanks to the hard work of various law enforcement agencies under the leadership of Attorney General Cuomo’s Organized Crime Task Force, another network of deadly narcotics in Central New York has been cut off. The scourge of drug trafficking from the New York City region to upstate communities continues to pose a threat to our neighborhoods and our children. However, it is a threat that we are eliminating by working together and pooling our resources.”

New York State Police Superintendent Harry J. Corbitt said, “Drug trafficking operations originating in New York City have expanded into our upstate communities. However, New York law enforcement agencies on every level, led by Attorney General Cuomo’s Upstate Guns, Gangs and Drugs Initiative, have impacted these operations. Through an organized effort, we worked together to bring down these highly organized drug rings. The state police are committed to working with the Attorney General and other law enforcement colleagues to improve the quality of life in our communities.”

“The impact of illegal drugs and guns on our communities is extensive and widespread,” said Attorney General Cuomo. “It is the goal of my Upstate Guns, Gangs, and Drugs Initiative to intercept the flow of drugs before they infect our neighborhoods. The recent takedown of several drug rings throughout Central and Upstate New York in past months proves that our formula of partnering with federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies is a successful model.”

Those indicted and their alleged roles include:
Luis Abreu, 33, of E. Spruce Ct., Altoona, PA, bought cocaine from A. Lockhart to resell (.6 ounces of cocaine seized at his residence).
Ralston Avery, 29, of E. 40th Street, Brooklyn, supplied cocaine to A. Lockhart, Feaggins and others.
Katy Campbell, a/k/a “Kate,” 20, of Pleasant Street, Canastota, sold cocaine she received from E. Lockhart and drove with E. Lockhart to the Bronx.
Faniel Denis, 28, of State Street, Canastota, bought cocaine from A. Lockhart and Stewart to resell.
Harmon Feaggins, 22, of Hoe Avenue, Bronx, transported cocaine to from the Bronx to Syracuse for A. Lockhart and sold cocaine he received from Avery.
Ronnie Golden, 28, of James Street, Syracuse, sold cocaine and allowed others indicted to store and sell cocaine at his residence.
Marton Davis, 29, of Presidential Plaza, Syracuse, sold cocaine to E. Lockhart, Golden, Poole, and Rashad for resale.
Edward N. Lockhart, Jr., 30, sold cocaine he received from A. Lockhart, Wade, Davis and others to Poole, Sarakby and others; drove to the Bronx (cocaine and shotgun seized during investigation).
Osbie McClain, 24, of Lillian Avenue, Syracuse, bought cocaine from A. Lockhart to resell (3.2 ounces of cocaine and a shotgun seized at residence).
Taurean Poole, 23, of Cairns Trail, Clay, bought cocaine from E. Lockhart and Davis to resell.
Kamisha Rashad, 22, of Presidential Plaza, Syracuse, sold cocaine she received from Davis and accompanied A. Lockhart when he drove to the Bronx.
Adib Sarakby, 53, of Gaskin Road, Baldwinsville, bought cocaine from E. Lockhart to resell.
Sirena Sharpe, 17, of Avery Avenue, Syracuse, sold cocaine for E. Lockhart.
Titus Stewart, 36, of Kirkpatrick Street, Syracuse, sold cocaine to Denis and others (2.5 ounces of cocaine and a revolver seized at his residence).
Robert Wade, 20, of Hoe Avenue, Bronx, bought and sold cocaine to E. Lockhart, A. Lockhart and others for resale.

The charges against the defendants are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. Read More......

From Chewing Coca Leaves To Crack
Chewing Coca Leaves. Coca consumption was originally the prerogative of the Inca elite. Today, most of the natives indulge as well. Coca is also consumed as the highly esteemed coca de mate.

Drinking coca tea tends to soothe the stomach, so it's good for digestive problems. Coca de mate is less likely to induce jitteriness than coffee. It is a rather more effective mood brightener too.



Cocaine Sulfate - pasta, basuco, basa, pitillo, paste. This is the low grade stuff that reaches the urban slums of South America. The sulfate is the intermediate stage between the coca leaf and the finished cocaine hydrochloride crystal.

Coca leaves are stripped from the plant. They are put in plastic pit with a solution of water and sulfuric acid. A bare footed man will climb in the pit, step on the mess and move it around with his hands.



Cocaine Hydrochloride - an odorless, white crystalline powder. It has a bitter, numbing taste. This is the type of cocaine available in most cities.

Making cocaine hydrochloride is quite complicated. The pasta is first washed in kerosene. It is then chilled. The kerosene is removed. Gas crystals of crude cocaine are left at the bottom of the tank.

Typically, the crystals are dissolved in methyl alcohol. They are then re-crystallized and dissolved once more in sulfuric acid. Further washing, oxidation and separation procedures involve potassium permanganate, benzole, and sodium carbonate.



Freebase And Crack Cocaine. Freebase and crack cocaine are derived from cocaine hydrochloride which has been chemically treated to free the potent base material from the salt.

Freebase was originally produced by a dangerous four or five step process in which the hydrochloride salt was heated with water and a volatile liquid such as ether.

Base cocaine in the form of crack is safer to produce but it is no less addictive. Crack and freebase are indissoluble in water, so they can't be injected or sniffed easily.

Instead, base is usually smoked from pipes, burnt on a piece of tin foil, or mixed with tobacco and marijuana in a smokable joint.

The euphoric rush comes within a few seconds (even faster than from injecting cocaine hydrochloride). Initially, the user may experience a profound sense of power, mastery, cleverness and uninhibited desire. But the exhilaration usually starts to fade within a few minutes.



Cocaine Use
Physical constraints ensure that even the most ardent coquero can get only a modest amount of cocaine into his bloodstream. Coca induced heart-attacks and strokes are thus extremely rare among traditional users.

In recent decades, however, there have been changes in cocaine's route of administration, patterns of use, the technology of cocaine production, and typical dosages.

Crack is actually a less pure sort of freebase cocaine. Unlike old fashioned freebase, however, its production doesn't involve any flammable solvents.

Crack is usually made by mixing two parts of cocaine hydrochloride with one part baking soda in some water. The solution is then heated gently until white precipitates form. Crack is then cut or broken into small rocks weighing a few tenths of a gram.

The traditional method of taking cocaine in the west involved snorting the hydrochloride salt. But absorption through the nasalmucousa is relatively modest.

This is because their surface-area is small and cocaine is vasoconstrictive. Freebase, on the other hand, is smoked and inhaled directly into the lungs. Therefore much higher doses are possible. Inhalation is followed by an intense euphoric rush.

Chronic cocaine use causes a decrease in the production of enkephalin, one of the brain's natural opioids. This in turn causes a compensatory increase in the number of mu-receptors. The number of unoccupied mu-receptors may be associated with the craving and abstinence syndrome.

After chronic exposure to cocaine, the number of post-synaptic dopamine receptors in the CNS is reduced. The amount of dopamine transporter protein is increased.

Tolerance to cocaine's effects does exist over prolonged use; but the extent of this physiological adaptation is relatively modest. The cocaine user still gets high; but in the absence of cocaine, his pre-synaptic neurons sequester dopamine in the synaptic cleft with greater efficiency.

This may induce depression, sometimes severe. Read More......