Eight individuals, including six Brooklyn men, on Wednesday were arrested and charged in connection with a Brooklyn-based drug and firearm trafficking syndicate.
The operation allegedly involved the illegal sale of counterfeit oxycodone pills laced with fentanyl, along with cocaine and firearms, according to a press release from the office of New York Attorney General Letitia James.
The 156-count indictment charges the suspects with multiple crimes linked to a trafficking network that moved over 5,000 counterfeit oxycodone pills containing roughly 2 kilograms of fentanyl, 1.3 kilograms of cocaine, three firearms and a high-capacity magazine. The street value of the seized fentanyl mixture is estimated at $40,000, while the cocaine is valued at $39,000.
“Disguising fentanyl in fake prescription pills puts vulnerable New Yorkers who are already suffering through opioid addiction at even greater risk,” said James. “Taking deadly counterfeit pills, guns, and other narcotics off the street and dismantling the networks selling them will help save lives."
The arrests are the result of a joint investigation by James' office, Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) and the NYPD’s Gun Violence Suppression Division. The investigators conducted undercover drug and firearm purchase operations, monitored electronic communications and used traditional surveillance methods to identify and apprehend the group.
The defendants have been identified as Jadin Ruth, 23, Shawn Wiltshire, 38, Haashim McCorkle, 46, Huby Ramkissoon, 49, Stanley Laureano, 38, Christopher McMillian, 20, Shawn Hill, 54 and Henry Jones, also known as Henry James, 56.
One of the two indictments also includes charges against McCorkle, for his alleged participation in shooting in Canarsie in March. The investigation revealed that McCorkle bragged about the incident, claiming he could have aimed for the victim’s head or chest but chose to shoot them in the hip instead.
In the first indictment unsealed at the Kings Country Supreme Court, Ruth, Wiltshire, McCorkle, Ramkissoon, McMillian, and Laureano — face drug and firearm trafficking charges. They could face sentences ranging from 20 to 24 years if convicted. Ruth is also charged with selling firearms, which could attract a separate seven-year sentence.
Ramkissoon and Henry Jones are also accused of selling a firearm with high-capacity magazines to Shawn Hill, who now faces weapons possession charges. Sentences for those involved in this second conspiracy could range from seven to 15 years.
