OPERATION DROP Drug Sweep
CANTON, NY — Today, an 80-count indictment for 44 people was unsealed in St. Lawrence County Court.
The multi-agency investigation was code-named “Operation Drop”, and brought together the resources of the St. Lawrence County Sheriff’s Office, U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Border Patrol and the Border Enforcement Security Task Force (HSI), New York State Police (NYSP), St. Lawrence County District Attorney’s Office, Massena Police Department, Ogdensburg Police Department, Potsdam Police Department, Gouverneur Police Department, Canton Police Department, St. Lawrence County Drug Task Force (SLCDTF), U.S. Postal Services Inspectors, New York National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, NYS Department of Corrections and Community Supervision, and the Metro Jeff Drug Task Force.
The law enforcement agencies conducted a six month investigation that included covert surveillance, aimed at rooting out heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine dealers operating in the St. Lawrence County area as well as the individuals who were the head of this trafficking organization from the New Jersey area.
This Drug Trafficking Organization (DTO) operated between Jersey City, New Jersey and St. Lawrence County, New York.
The individuals arrested from Jersey City, New Jersey area are all linked back to a Blood affiliate street gang, known as “ST8 Drop”. The DTO is known to traffic heroin (laced with fentanyl), crack cocaine, and powder cocaine.
The investigation led to the recovery of approximately 6 pounds and 12 ounces of cocaine (estimated street value of more than $350,000), 279 grams of fentanyl (estimated street value of more than $56,000.00) 2,737 packets of heroin and fentanyl, which had all been pre-packaged for easy distribution by the trafficking ring (estimated street value of approximately $42,000) and $80,400 in U.S. Currency. Including $4,400.00 in US Currency that has been seized since May 6, 2020.
Below is a list of all the subjects that have been indicted by a St. Lawrence County Grand Jury for this operation.
Law Enforcement teams across the region are still in the process of arresting all subjects but some still remain at large.
Seven of the 18 subjects that were initially arrested on May 6th, 2020, are in custody, 13 additional subjects were taken into custody this morning on the indictment, and 24 subjects are still at large at the time of this release.
St. Lawrence County Sheriff Brooks Bigwarfe said, “The second stage of “Operation Drop” focuses on local residents that are facilitating illegal drug dealings by bringing drug dealers into our County, sometimes from other states, and then conspiring to sell these illegal drugs. These subjects also need to be held accountable. Illegal drugs including heroine, fentanyl, and cocaine not only have the potential of causing death, but also addiction which in turn facilitates more crime in our communities of the County.”
“As I have stated in the past, the Sheriff’s Office in conjunction with our law enforcement partners of the County, will focus our resources at eradicating these illegal drugs for the safety of all the citizens of our great County.”
St. Lawrence County District Attorney Gary Pasqua said, “I want to thank our local, state and federal law enforcement partners for their tireless efforts throughout this investigation. An investigation of this magnitude is not possible without the cooperation and coordination of multiple law enforcement agencies, especially our local agencies who are the best resource for information concerning what is happening in our communities. While the return and unsealing of this indictment is the culmination of this investigation, we now turn to prosecution of those who are alleged to trafficked narcotics in our community. It is also important to remember that we will continue to vigorously investigate and prosecute individuals bringing narcotics to our area while at the same time offering help to those in our communities who are addicted to these terrible drugs. We must continue to reduce the need and desire for these substances so that narcotics traffickers can longer make a profit in St. Lawrence County.”
*In Custody:
*Keith Rodriguez (DOB 07/02/1977), Jersey City, New Jersey
Charged with:
Operating as a Major Trafficker (2 counts)
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 1st (2 counts)
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd (2 counts)
*Amir Hodges (DOB 10/17/1983), Jersey City, New Jersey
Charged with:
Operating as a Major Trafficker
Conspiracy 2nd
Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 1st
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd
*Abdul Nadir Ali (DOB 12/31/1965), Jersey City, New Jersey
Charged with:
Operating as a Major Trafficker
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd
*Naaman Page (DOB 06/22/1991), Jersey City, New Jersey
Charged with:
Operating as a Major Trafficker
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd
*Allen Pinkney (DOB 01/16/1980), Jersey City, New Jersey
Charged with:
Operating as a Major Trafficker
Conspiracy 2nd
Attempted Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 1st
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd
Assault 2nd (2 counts)
*Vernal Ransom (DOB 11/10/1969), Jersey City, New Jersey
Charged with:
Operating as a Major Trafficker
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of Controlled Substance 3rd (2 counts)
*Moussa Diop (DOB 05/13/1999), Jersey City, New Jersey
Charged with:
Operating as a Major Trafficker
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd (2 counts)
*Arthur Agaman (DOB 08/15/1995), Jersey City, New Jersey
Charged with:
Operating as a Major Trafficker
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 1st
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd (2 counts)
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd
*Justin Martin (DOB 09/05/1987), Jersey City, New Jersey
Charged with:
Operating as a Major Trafficker
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd (2 counts)
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd
*Delton Weller (DOB 01/15/1983), Massachusetts
Charged with:
Criminal Nuisance in the 1st degree
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 1st (2 counts)
*Devin Weller (DOB 01/15/1983), Potsdam, New York
Charged with:
Criminal Nuisance in the 1st degree
*Lindsey Manchester (DOB 12/10/1991), Potsdam, New York
Charged with:
Criminal Nuisance in the 1st degree
*Jerry Yerdon (DOB 12/23/1986), Ogdensburg, New York
Charged with:
Criminal Nuisance in the 1st degree
Conspiracy 2nd
*Bridgett Spriggs (DOB 06/16/1982), Ogdensburg, New York
Charged with:
Criminal Nuisance in the 1st degree
*Bradley Brooks (DOB 12/21/1985), Gouverneur New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy in the 2nd degree
*Gerald Castle Jr. (DOB 07/23/1987), Massena, New York
Charged with:
Criminal Nuisance in the 1st degree
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd (2 counts)
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd (2 counts)
*Jessica Castle (DOB 02/11/1981), Massena, New York
Charged with:
Criminal Nuisance in the 1st degree
*Pamela Cole (DOB 03/24/1981), Ogdensburg, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd
*Diamond Debarros (DOB 08/06/2000), Bayonne, New Jersey
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd
*Matthew Douillet (DOB 04/16/1993), Massena, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
*Rachael Durgan (DOB 10/28/1990), Ogdensburg, New York
Charged with:
Criminal Nuisance in the 1st degree
*Tanisha Hagans (DOB 06/17/1989), Jersey City, New Jersey
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 1st
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd
*Dahtez Jones (DOB 10/23/1985), Massena, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 4th
*Rauchelle Laporte (DOB 07/06/1993), Massena, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 4th
*John Paul Maxwell (DOB 07/18/1988), Massena, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd
*Lester McGaw (DOB 05/12/1977), Ogdensburg, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd
*Jessica McMahon (DOB 02/11/1981), Massena, New York
Charged with:
Criminal Nuisance in the 1st degree
*Brittany Miller (DOB 06/21/1992), Watertown, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd
*Jordan Page (DOB 02/14/1994), Massena, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd
*Tori Paquin (DOB 05/07/1981), Massena, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
Conspiracy 4th
*Matthew Parker (DOB 07/22/1987), Parishville, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd
*Jeremy Pitts (DOB 05/16/1995), Potsdam, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd
*James Plourde (DOB 12/09/1992), Massena, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
*James Pribble (DOB 05/21/1987), Ogdensburg, New York
Charged with:
Criminal Nuisance in the 1st degree
Conspiracy 2nd
*Samuel Pruner (DOB 07/10/1978), Massena, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
*Devin Riley (DOB 01/29/1995), Massena, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
*Llajesli Santiago (DOB 01/16/1997), New York City, New York
Charged with:
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd
*Adriannah Sirles (DOB 9/8/1997), Massena, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
*Corbey Terrance (DOB 02/14/1991), Massena, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 4th
*Tia Thompson (DOB 05/21/1997), Massena, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 4th
*Aquarra Weegar (DOB 07/19/1995), Massena, New York
Charged with:
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd (2 counts)
*Chad Wickwire (DOB 07/05/1984), Norfolk, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd (2 counts)
Criminal Sale of a Controlled Substance 3rd (2 counts)
*Elizabeth Wickwire (DOB 05/13/1988), Norfolk, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
*Patricia Wilson (DOB 04/24/2003), Jersey City, New Jersey
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd (2 counts)
*Sean Young (DOB 12/11/1993), Ogdensburg, New York
Charged with:
Conspiracy 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd
