USMS, OMAHA POLICE HOLD PRESS CONFERENCE ON ANTI-GANG OPERATIONS

Seized Weapons from TGIF Anti-Gang operation.  Credit:  USMS 

FROM:  U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE
Omaha's 'TGIF' Anti-Gang Operation

 MFTF Logo Omaha, NE – The U.S. Marshals Service and the Omaha Police held a press conference about the recently completed anti-gang operation. U.S. Marshal Mark Martinez and the Omaha Police Chief Todd Schmaderer discussed the joint operation “TGIF” in which members of the Metro Fugitive Task Force and Omaha Gang Unit worked side by side for 5 weeks (May 26 – June 27, 2015) to address gang violence in the city of Omaha. The primary focus for the operation was in the Omaha Police Northeast Precinct.

The operation was named “TGIF” which is a commonly used phrase that is short for “Thank Goodness It’s Friday”. The plan was for the U.S. Marshals Service and the OPD (Omaha Police Department) Gang unit to conduct either a gang member warrant round up or a hot spot saturation patrols every Friday of the operation.

U.S. Marshal Mark Martinez said, “Operation TGIF was again very productive and continues to sends a strong message to gang members and others that law enforcement will continue to monitor their activities and take appropriate enforcement action.” A total of 138 felony arrests were made, 32 firearms were seized, $5,503.10 in currency seized, and $35,590 in street drugs taken off the streets.

The U.S. Marshals Metro Fugitive Task Force is comprised of several federal and local agencies around the Omaha and Lincoln, Nebraska areas to include Omaha, Bellevue, La Vista, and Lincoln Police Departments, Sheriff’s Offices in Lancaster, Saline, Saunders, Douglas, and Sarpy counties, and Immigration and Customs Enforcement.

MAJOR DRUG ARRESTS RESULT FROM INVESTIGATION

FROM:  U.S. JUSTICE DEPARTMENT 

Friday, January 16, 2015

Fourteen Charged in Connection with Lewiston Drug Arrests

A federal grand jury in sitting in Portland indicted Tasheem Carter, 29, of Far Rockaway, New York, and Lewiston, Maine, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and oxycodone and Christian Dent, 31, of Far Rockaway and Lewiston, for conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and being a felon in possession of a firearm, U.S. Attorney Thomas E. Delahanty II announced today.

Also charged were Sabree Branch, 23, of Philadelphia and Lewiston, for use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, possession of cocaine base and unlawful use of a communication facility; Michael Boney,  28, of Far Rockaway and Auburn, Maine, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine and cocaine base; Isar Coleman, 31, of Lewiston, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base; Angela Crabtree, 32, of Auburn, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Katelynn Dubois, 21, of Wales, Maine, for conspiracy to distribute oxycodone; Lee Eirby, 66, of Lewiston, for maintaining a drug-involved premises; Isaac Fofie, 26, of New Sharon, Maine, for conspiracy to distribute heroin and distribution of heroin; Kourtney Francoeur, 21, of Lewiston, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base; Jamel Hamilton, of Far Rockaway, for conspiracy to distribute heroin; Willie Jackson, 32, of Lewiston, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base; Rebecca Thompson, 33, of Lewiston, for conspiracy to distribute cocaine base; and Barney Whitfield, 33, of Lewiston, for possession with intent to distribute cocaine base and heroin.

According to court records, the charges arise out of the distribution of cocaine and heroin in the greater Lewiston and Auburn area.  This morning, federal, state and local agents arrested Branch, Coleman, Crabtree, Dubois, Eirby, Fofie, Francoeur, Hamilton, Jackson, Thompson and Whitfield while executing warrants.  Carter, Dent and Boney were all previously arrested on criminal complaints.  The defendants arrested today will make their initial appearances in the U.S. District Court in Portland today.

Dent faces between five and 40 years in prison, a $4 million fine and supervised release for life on the drug charge or between 10 years and life in prison and an $8 million fine if he has a prior felony drug conviction.  On the gun charge, Dent also faces up to 10 years in prison, a fine of up to $250,000 and three years of supervised release.  For the gun charge, Branch faces between five years and life in prison, a fine of $250,000 and five years of supervised release; for the possession charge, Branch faces up to one year in prison, a $100,000 fine and up to one year of supervised release; and for the communication facility charge, faces up to four years in prison, a $250,000 fine and supervised release of up to one year.  Eirby faces up to 20 years in prison, a $250,000 fine and three years of supervised release for maintaining a drug-involved premises.  The other defendants face up to 20 years in prison, a $1 million fine and supervised release for life.

The case was investigated by the Maine Drug Enforcement Agency, the Lewiston and Auburn Police Departments, the Maine State Police, the Southern Maine Gang Task Force comprised of agents and officers from the FBI, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations and the Portland and Biddeford Police Departments.

An indictment or criminal complaint is merely an accusation and defendants are presumed innocent unless proven guilty in a court of law.

On Tuesday, Jan. 20, 2015, at 10:30 a.m, U.S. Attorney Delahanty, Chief Michael Bussiere for the Lewiston Police and District Attorney Andrew Robinson for Androscoggin County will hold a press conference regarding these cases at the Lewiston Police Department at 171 Park Street in Lewiston.  Media members should arrive by 10:20 a.m., and will be asked to provide identification credentials.

U.S. MARSHALS SERVICE AND OTHER AGENCIES WORK TOGETHER

The following excerpt is from the U.S. Marshals Service website:

“During the week of November 4-10, 2011, the U.S. Marshals Service (USMS) in Northern California, the USMS Pacific Southwest Regional Fugitive Task Force (PSWRFTF), U.S. Marshals Sex Offender Investigations Branch (SOIB), the USMS Tactical Operations Group (TOG) Air Branch, the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF), USMS Special Operations Group (SOG), the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and the Oakland Police Department (OPD) partnered with the California Department of Corrections, California Highway Patrol, ATF, DEA/HIDTA, Secret Service, and OIG/HUD to conduct a multi-stage warrant sweep and “hot-spot” saturation operation.

As of October 16, 2011, the city of Oakland has reported a 36% increase in homicides, 27% increase in ADW (firearms), and a 5% increase in robberies. Weapons related arrests are down 16% year to date. As a result, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Northern California, Melinda Haag, and the U.S. Marshal for Northern California, Donald O’Keefe, began planning the multi-agency operation in conjunction with the Chief of OPD, Howard Jordan, over two months ago.

During the mission several multi-agency teams of law enforcement officers safely located and arrested subjects for which state arrest warrants have been issued. Teams also conducted saturation patrols in identified violent crime hot-spots in an effort to prevent acts of violent crimes as well as apprehending warrant suspects. Teams conducted probation, parole and sex offender compliance checks, as well as executing searches at residences associated with known criminal activity and or acts of violence. In addition, the Oakland Police Department’s Major Crimes Unit gathered intelligence information related to violent crime.

Over the course of the week, 138 arrests were made as well as the seizure of 13 firearms. Also confiscated during the operation were two ballistic vests, 6 lbs of marijuana, 11 oz. of methamphetamine, 2 oz. of heroin, 25 grams of cocaine, various other narcotics, and 15 stolen vehicles.

The mission concluded with a joint press conference held at the Oakland Police Headquarters on Thursday, November 10, 2011. All participating agencies were represented. Also present was the Mayor of Oakland, Jean Quan, and the Oakland City Administrator, Deanna Santana.”