What to Know
- Sixteen individuals have been indicted for their roles in trafficking prescription opioids and cocaine in New York City, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Wednesday.
- According to two indictments — unsealed in Kings County Supreme Court — the group sold tens of thousands of prescription oxycodone pills, worth about $500,000, and more than 500 grams of cocaine. The investigation led to the recovery of more than 2,600 oxycodone pills and thousands of dollars in illicit narcotics proceeds.
- The sting operation dubbed “Operation Dirty Laundry” due to the frequent reference to illegal prescription pills for sale as “shirts” — included physical and covert surveillance, court-authorized wiretapping of phones, and review of subpoena compliance.
Sixteen individuals have been indicted for their roles in trafficking prescription opioids and cocaine in New York City, Massachusetts, and Pennsylvania, New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Wednesday.
According to two indictments — unsealed in Kings County Supreme Court — the group sold tens of thousands of prescription oxycodone pills, worth about $500,000, and more than 500 grams of cocaine. The investigation subsequently led to the recovery of more than 2,600 oxycodone pills and thousands of dollars in illicit narcotics proceeds.
Those arrested range in age from 24 to 61 years old. While most are New York City residents, two are from Massachusetts, and one of the accused resides in New Jersey.
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The drug ring takedown was the culmination of a 20-month investigation led by the Office of the Attorney General’s (OAG) Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) with help from the Warwick Police Department and the Waterfront Commission of New York Harbor.
The sting operation dubbed “Operation Dirty Laundry” due to the frequent reference to illegal prescription pills for sale as “shirts” — included physical and covert surveillance, court-authorized wiretapping of phones, and review of subpoena compliance.
During the electronic surveillance, the accused and their co-conspirators frequently used coded and cryptic words to try to disguise their illicit activities, such as referring to oxycodone pills by colors or size -- such as “big ones,” “white shirts,” “blue shirts,” and “3-0s” -- and cocaine as “the girl” or “the Pablo,” according to James' office.
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“Dangerous drugs have long ravaged our communities and devastated the lives of many individuals throughout our state and nation,” James said in a statement. “From going after the manufacturers and distributors fueling the opioid crisis, to cracking down on those who are illegally trafficking and distributing opioids and other drugs throughout our state, we are tackling this crisis from every angle to prevent death and destruction.”
