Joon Kim, the acting United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York and Yonkers Police Commissioner Charles Gardner announced the arrests and drug charges of six people, who were brought into custody on Thursday.
Five people were brought to federal court in White Plains on Thursday for arraignment. A sixth man, James Odell Whitted, remains at large, Kim noted.
According to Kim, Christopher “Fox” Coleman, Jonathan Acquino, Whitted, Leibys Mercedes, Lisa Henderson and Branden Jones conspired to distribute more than 100 grams of heroin in the Hudson Valley.
Kim said that Henderson assisted Coleman in packaging the heroin for resale and allowed him to “store narcotics paraphernalia” in her apartment.
Henderson is facing a maximum of 20 years in prison. The other five alleged suspects are facing a maximum of 40 years and a mandatory minimum of five years in prison on charges of narcotics conspiracy.
“These arrests will reduce the availability of heroin in our community and help fight the opioid epidemic we are experiencing,” Gardner said.
DEA Special Agent in Charge James Hunt said that the heroin was allegedly being trafficked in Westchester and Newburgh, nothing that “Gangs are actively capitalizing on opioid addiction by pushing potent heroin onto our streets. In this case, heroin was allegedly being trafficked throughout Yonkers, Westchester and Newburgh communities, increasing the risks of potential overdoses caused by opioids.”
“As alleged, these defendants contributed to the rising tide of heroin that is plaguing suburb and city alike,” Kim added. “Thanks to the excellent work of the DEA and the Yonkers Police Department, we hope to stem that tide and protect our communities from this epidemic.”
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