Buy this photoMembers of the Bergen County and Fair Lawn police departments raid a Fair Lawn house on Overlook Place on Wednesday. Authorities contend the home was the central operations base for a drug ring.
Authorities say they have busted a multi-state drug ring based out of a house on Overlook Place in Fair Lawn.
Early Wednesday, more than 100 federal, state, and local authorities arrested 16 individuals in locations throughout New York and at a Fair Lawn residence in connection with a multi-state cocaine and crack ring. Seven defendants are still being sought and two of the suspects were already in custody, police said.
Between May 2009 and March 2010, authorities said a cocaine trafficking organization, referred to as "The Colon Organization," obtained large quantities of cocaine from Puerto Rico, transported them to the Fair Lawn residence, then further distributed the drugs to locations in and around Middletown, NY, as well as in the Bronx and Queens.Some of the powder cocaine was cooked into crack and further distributed in Middletown, NY, according to authorities.
The group is named for two of the seven primary members, identified in the indictment as Mark Colon, 36, of Fair Lawn; Angel Colon, 34, of Mount Hope, NY; Gabriel Boria, 25, of Middletown, NY; Benny Rosario, 34, of Middletown, NY; Santos Crespo-Ayuso, 24, of Middletown, NY; Eduardo Silva, 27, of Middletown, NY, and Maudo Francisco Guiti-Lopez, 24, of the Bronx.
Authorities allege that Mark Colon oversaw the Colon Organization’s efforts in obtaining supplies of cocaine from Puerto Rico, transporting the cocaine and collecting the proceeds of cocaine and crack distribution.
Individuals also charged in the indictment are Jonathan Asca-Torres, 23, of Bronx, NY; Herman Burton, 26, of Middletown, NY; Donald Cannon, 36, of Middletown, NY; Jorge Centeno, 32, Queens, NY; Jose De La Cruz, 34, of Middletown, New York; Daamu Diggs, 36, of Middletown, New York; Gualberto Fines, 32, of Bronx, NY; Angel Gonzalez, 29, of Middletown, NY; Otis Jones, 29, of Newburgh, NY; Damian Lewis, 33, of Middletown, NY; Thomas Carter Love, 25, of Middletown, NY; Thelonious Monk, 38, of Middletown, NY; Carlos Rivera, 27, of Middletown, NY; Lionel Vega, 27, of Middletown NY, Puryear Venable, 26, of Middletown, NY; Charles Warner, 24, of Middletown, NY; Kevin Washington, 38, of Port Jervis, NY, and James Williams, 31, of Middletown, NY.
Each individual was charged with conspiring to distribute 5 kilograms and more of powder cocaine and 50 grams and more of crack cocaine.
Colon, Guiti-Lopez, Fines, and Asca-Torres were also charged with possession with intent to distribute 500 grams and more of cocaine. They each face between 5 years and a maximum sentence of 40 years if convicted.
U.S. Attorney spokesman Herbert Hadad said the defendants entered not guilty pleas at their arraignment in U.S. District Court in White Plains, NY, on March 24. Each individual faces between 10 years and a maximum of life in prison if convicted.
The Drug Enforcement Administration, as well as Bergen County and Fair Lawn police participated in the raid on Overlook Place. Hadad said he was unsure if Colon owned the Fair Lawn residence.
Preet Bharara, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, praised law enforcement efforts on Wednesday.
"Targeting the principal members of criminal organizations that spread dangerous drugs throughout our streets and neighborhoods is critically important to keeping our communities safe," Bharara said. "Today’s takedown of 25 members of a cocaine trafficking organization in Middletown is the latest testament to our commitment, with our local, state and federal law enforcement partners, to confront drug trafficking on our the streets of our cities, suburbs and rural areas.