13 Members Of Violent Drug Trafficking Organization Charged In Manhattan Federal Court With Narcotics Trafficking And Firearms Offenses

Joon H. Kim, the Acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, William F. Sweeney Jr., the Assistant Director in Charge of the New York Field Office of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (“FBI”), and James P. O’Neill, the Commissioner of the Police Department for the City of New York (“NYPD”), announced today the unsealing of an Indictment charging 13 members of a Bronx-based drug trafficking organization with narcotics trafficking and firearms offenses. 

Acting Manhattan U.S. Attorney Joon H. Kim said:  “As alleged, these defendants, many of them members of the violent and dangerous Crips street gang, used gun violence to control their territory in the North Bronx and to flood the streets with heroin, crack cocaine, and cocaine. Together with our partners at the FBI and NYPD, we are committed to making our city safer from drug-related violence.”    

FBI Assistant Director in Charge William F. Sweeney Jr. said:  “Our most important job as the FBI NY Metro Safe Streets Task Force is to protect the community from dangerous gangs that use threats and violence to maintain control. Gangs impact innocent people’s lives every day, people who often have no way to rid their neighborhoods of the dealers on the street corners. Our agents and investigators from our partner law enforcement agencies will be dogged in our pursuit of these criminals.”

NYPD Commissioner James P. O’Neill said:  “Today’s arrests are the latest example of the NYPD’s commitment to combatting narcotics trafficking and violent gun crimes.  The dismantling of this crew and the amount of evidence seized represents a significant blow to criminal networks operating in the Bronx. Thanks to FBI and U.S. Attorney in the Southern District—our partners on this and many other cases.”

According to the Indictment[1] unsealed in Manhattan federal court and other publicly filed documents:

The members of the Davidson Avenue drug trafficking organization (the “Davidson Avenue DTO”) controlled narcotics trafficking on Davidson Avenue between West Tremont Avenue and West Burnside Avenue in the Bronx, New York (the “Davidson Block”).  From 2012 to May 2017, members of the Davidson Avenue DTO sold heroin, crack cocaine, and cocaine, among other illegal narcotics, on the Davidson Block, and prevented others from doing the same by the threat of violence.  

Members of the Davidson Avenue DTO are also members and associates of the “55” and “Wildcard” neighborhood sets of the nationwide Crips street gang.  Members of the Davidson Avenue DTO possessed firearms, and planned and engaged in acts of violence to, among other reasons, protect and maintain their drug business.  In particular, members of the Davidson Avenue DTO used their firearms in territory battles with members and associates of the rival Bloods gang, as well as during internal disputes over authority within the Crips sets that composed the DTO.

Count One of the Indictment charges OVED VEGA, a/k/a “O,” a/k/a “Mantha,” FRANKIE REYES, a/k/a “Biscuit,” HENRY MEJIA, a/k/a “Bigs,” FELIX CASTILLO, a/k/a “Spyder,” JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Poochie,” JESSICA GLENN, a/k/a “J,” GABRIEL CRUZ, a/k/a “Gabe,” ISIAH PEREZ, a/k/a “Izzy,” NOEL PEREZ, a/k/a “Lito,” ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Fetti,” MARKEEN JORDAN, a/k/a “Kingo,” STEFAN CROMARTIE, a/k/a “Stef,” and DAYQUAN SALAMAN, a/k/a “Domo Gz,” with participating in a conspiracy to distribute narcotics, including heroin, crack cocaine, and cocaine.

Count Two of the Indictment charges OVED VEGA, a/k/a “O,” a/k/a “Mantha,” FRANKIE REYES, a/k/a “Biscuit,” HENRY MEJIA, a/k/a “Bigs,” FELIX CASTILLO, a/k/a “Spyder,” JUSTIN RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Poochie,” JESSICA GLENN, a/k/a “J,” GABRIEL CRUZ, a/k/a “Gabe,” ISIAH PEREZ, a/k/a “Izzy,” NOEL PEREZ, a/k/a “Lito,” ALFREDO RODRIGUEZ, a/k/a “Fetti,” MARKEEN JORDAN, a/k/a “Kingo,” STEFAN CROMARTIE, a/k/a “Stef,” and DAYQUAN SALAMAN, a/k/a “Domo Gz,” with possessing and discharging firearms in furtherance of the narcotics conspiracy charged in Count One.

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In a coordinated operation, 10 defendants were arrested in New York on Tuesday afternoon and earlier today.  They will be presented this afternoon in Manhattan federal court.  Defendant MARKEEN JORDAN was already in federal custody on a violation of supervised release.  Defendant DAYQUAN SALAMAN is in custody on state charges and will be transferred to federal custody.  FELIX CASTILLO remains at large.  Charts identifying each defendant, the charges, and the maximum penalties are attached to this release.

The case is assigned to U.S. District Judge Loretta A. Preska. 

Mr. Kim thanked the FBI and NYPD for their work on the investigation.

The Office’s Violent and Organized Crime Unit is overseeing the case.  Assistant U.S. Attorneys Gina Castellano and Hagan Scotten are in charge of the prosecution.

The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

United States v. Oved Vega et al.