Pubdate: Sat, 13 Jan 2001
Source: Bergen Record (NJ)
Copyright: 2001 Bergen Record Corp.
Contact:  150 River St., Hackensack, NJ 07601
Fax: (201) 646-4749
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TWO CHARGED WITH KILLING OF 7 INSIDE CRACK HOUSE

PHILADELPHIA -- Two men were charged Friday with killing seven people in a 
drug house last month over what police called "nickel-and-dime drug 
dealing." Two others were charged with weapons and drug offenses.

The massacre, the city's worst shooting in decades, stemmed from one group 
of dealers undercutting the other's prices, police Capt. James Brady said.

"For literally a couple bucks, these individuals were slaughtered," he 
said. "We're not talking hundreds of thousands of dollars but pennies."

Jermel Lewis, 23, and Sacon Youk, 19, were charged with seven counts of 
homicide, attempted murder, aggravated assault and simple assault, 
recklessly endangering another person, and robbery.

It could not immediately be determined whether Youk and Lewis had 
attorneys. Youk's mother, Meejain, said her son was innocent.

"If my son was in trouble, he would have come to me," she said, standing 
outside the police station. "I can't believe he was implicated in this."

The two other men were charged with drug and weapons offenses. Police would 
not elaborate on the charges.

Four masked men entered the house Dec. 28, forced the 10 people inside to 
line up on the floor, and sprayed them with bullets from at least three 
different automatic weapons, police said. Seven were killed and three 
others injured.

Neighbors described the house as a crack house; one of the wounded said she 
rented a room in the ramshackle home for $30 a week.
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