Four Members of Westchester County Crack and Cocaine Trafficking Organization Convicted in White Plains Federal Court of Narcotics Conspiracy

PREET BHARARA, the United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, announced that WILLIAM ANDERSON, JAMES McCRAE, PRINCE MARSH, and PIERRE MYKE were found guilty by a federal jury in White Plains today of participating in a conspiracy to distribute a controlled substance following a three-week trial before United States District Judge KENNETH M. KARAS. The jury found that the controlled substances involved in the conspiracy were crack and powder cocaine as to ANDERSON, McCRAE, and MARSH and crack as to MYKE.

Mr. BHARARA said, “Crack and powder cocaine continue to pose a clear threat to our communities. But the successful prosecutions of these four drug dealers are a testament to our collective commitment to confront drug trafficking head on and keep Westchester County streets safe.”

As demonstrated by the evidence at trial, ANDERSON, McCRAE, MARSH; and MYKE were members of a cocaine and crack trafficking network led by Elvis Santana (the “Santana Organization”). The Santana Organization distributed crack cocaine and powder cocaine across Westchester County, primarily in Yonkers and Peekskill, New York. ANDERSON, McCRAE, MARSH, MYKE, and their co-conspirators, would receive crack or powder cocaine in Peekskill and surrounding areas from other members of the Santana Organization and then sell these drugs to drug users and other drug dealers.

ANDERSON, McCRAE, MARSH, and MYKE were found guilty of a charge in a one-count Indictment of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance from about February 2009 through November 2009.

Additionally, the jury found that the amount of crack attributable to McCRAE and MYKE was 50 grams or more and to ANDERSON was five grams or more. A sentencing date has yet to be set.

ANDERSON, McCRAE, MARSH, and MYKE were originally charged along with 39 other defendants with conspiring to distribute a controlled substance. That indictment also charged members of the Santana Organization other than ANDERSON, McCRAE, MARSH, and MYKE with additional narcotics offenses. Of the 43 defendants charged in that original indictment, 37 have pleaded guilty, two are fugitives, and, by today’s verdict, four were convicted by a jury after trial.

Mr. BHARARA praised the investigative work of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Peekskill Police Department, the Yonkers Police Department, the Village of Ossining Police Department, the Rockland County Narcotics Task Force, and the Westchester County Department of Public Safety. He added that the investigation is continuing.

The prosecution is being handled by the Officets White Plains Division. Assistant United States Attorneys JEFFREY ALBERTS and ELLIOTT B. JACOBSON are in charge of this trial prosecution. Assistant United States Attorneys NICHOLAS McQUAID, DOUGLAS BLOOM, and KATHRYN MARTIN also are working on the prosecution of the Santana Organization.