Pubdate: Fri, 23 Sep 2005
Source: New York Daily News (NY)
Copyright: 2005 Daily News, L.P.
Contact:  http://www.nydailynews.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/295
Author: Scott Shifrel, Daily News Staff Writer
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/coke.htm (Cocaine)

COPS HANG UP $1M-A-YEAR COCAINE PHONE-ORDER BIZ

A $1 million-a-year phone-order cocaine ring that used pop music 
terms as code words was smashed after a nine-month investigation into 
the southeast Queens operation, authorities said yesterday.

The operation was run out of three homes in Hollis, Springfield 
Gardens and Rosedale by drug dealers who used the phrases "R&B" and 
"hip-hop" to indicate what type of drugs they were selling, authorities said.

"Cocaine would be offered in coded language, with 'R&B' used as a 
reference for soft, powdered cocaine, as opposed to 'hip-hop,' which 
would be a reference to hard, or crack, cocaine," Queens District 
Attorney Richard Brown said.

"Once the orders were placed, the defendants would allegedly deliver 
the cocaine to their customers at an agreed upon location," which 
included public parks or parking lots of places such as the Kentucky 
Fried Chicken eatery at Baisley and Merrick Blvds. in Jamaica, Brown said.

Many of the "customers" were minor cocaine dealers who resold the 
drugs, prosecutors allege.

Police allegedly recovered $7,000 in cash, $125,000 worth of cocaine, 
a .380 automatic handgun and 42 Ziploc bags containing $20 of crack 
cocaine each during searches conducted earlier this week.

Cops arrested alleged ringleader Shawn (Snaggs) Williams of 
Springfield Gardens. He was charged with first-degree criminal sale 
of a controlled substance and other charges.

Williams, who faces up to 24 years in prison, was arraigned in Queens 
Criminal Court Wednesday night and ordered held without bail.

Two others, Karl (Shorts) Bryant, 26, of Hollis, and Jahmel (Mel) 
Holland, 24, of Rosedale, are at large.
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