Sometimes, They Get It Right...
Do you remember in your high school days reading Shakespeare's JULIUS CAESAR, and during Marc Antony's speech to the roman people, he keeps referring to Brutus as an "honorable man"?
Now, Antony didn't repeat that phrase to maintain THAT Brutus was honorable...not in the least.
You could say it bordered on the sarcastic, because Antony was making a comparison between the actions of Brutus with those of Caesar (who Brutus supposedly loved). Ironic, don'cha think?
Basically the actions of Brutus (and the conspirators) against Caesar were done with honorable motives...against an "honorable" man BY an honorable man.
You get the idea (I hope, because I don't have the Cliffs Notes available currently).
I felt a similar level of IRONY was evident yesterday in Fort Wayne, when the formal announcement was made against those 40+ people charged with drug trafficking here in Fort Wayne.
I first mentioned this story this past Friday, but now, we've got the skinny on who all was busted by the U.S. Attorney's office and the F.B.I.
Like I say...sometimes, they DO get it right.
Here's the *4-1-1* on this:
(( Published: April 19, 2011 3:00 a.m.
U.S. attorney says 3 drug rings broken -
‘Massive takedown’ gets 36 arrests, 40 indictments
Rebecca S. Green - The Journal Gazette
Flanked by local law enforcement and federal agents Monday, David Capp, U.S. attorney for the Northern District
of Indiana, proudly announced the recent round of arrests generated by a federal drug task force. The 36 arrests, stemming from 40 criminal complaints or indictments, constituted a “massive takedown” of a trans-state drug trafficking ring that Capp said shipped large quantities of cocaine and other drugs into northeast Indiana from Mexico and California.
The focus of the investigation was 31-year-old Jarvis T. Buchanan but as investigators listened to phone calls and conducted surveillance, eventually three drug trafficking rings were uncovered and its members indicted, Capp said.
The different drug trafficking conspiracies were distinct, Capp said.
Court documents indicate that at various times, the three conspiracies, or rings, overlapped with one another in the business of drug dealing – including cocaine, heroin, methamphetamine and marijuana.
Indicted along with Buchanan were Jermorris Sewell, 27; Antonio Sewell, 29; Damon Porter, 31; Jose Soto, 28;
Willie James Brooks, 47; and Brenna Underwood. All were from Fort Wayne, according to a release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The second conspiracy involved Silvestre Castaneda, 27, Pedro Castaneda, 37; Osiris Espinoza, 30; Maritza Castaneda, 29; Alejandro Montoya, 43; Florencia DeLuna, 29; and James Thomas, 63. All are from Fort Wayne except for Maritza Castaneda and Montoya, who are from California; and Thomas who is from Dayton.
The third conspiracy involved Charley J. Gonzalez III, 39; Billy Gonzalez, 33; Alejandro Luna, 27; Augustine Luna, 32; Joseph Luna, 34; Narciso Soto III, 29; and Antonio Angel Ray Flores, 23. ALL are from Fort Wayne, according to the statement.
Other people were indicted individually, or charged individually, accused of having a role in the drug trafficking operations.
Area law enforcement officers intercepted two shipments of cocaine, totaling 5 kilograms with a street value of $150,000 to $200,000, Capp said.
Investigators obtained 10 federal wiretap warrants throughout the course of the investigation, which began in early 2010, Capp said.
The investigation became public last week when 25 search warrants were served throughout Allen County, 36 peoplewere arrested and court documents were unsealed.
While some of the court documents uncovered last week by The Journal Gazette said at least one person had knownties to a gang, the Authentic Mexican Gangsters, Capp said he could not comment on any gang involvement in thedrug trafficking rings.
Capp said the number of people charged and arrested was important, not just for northeast Indiana but also for the entire northern district of the state.
But what was also significant was the level to which the task force was able to penetrate the organizations, enabling law enforcement officers to get a number of dangerous individuals off the streets, he said.
Assistant special agent in charge for the FBI’s Indianapolis office, Tom Gancarz, said the arrests marked the largest to date, statewide, for any Safe Streets Task Force.
He thanked the local agencies for giving the task force everything it needed for a safe take-down of the criminal organizations.
The Safe Streets Task Force, announced locally in May 2009, is made up of FBI agents, working alongside officers from the Indiana State Police, Allen County Sheriff’s Department, Fort Wayne Police Department and other local law enforcement agencies.
The collaboration between the agencies is welcome, said Fort Wayne Police Chief Rusty York.
“The federal system brings resources we don’t typically have,” he said.
Drug Ring Leaders
Federal officials say they have identified three distinct criminal conspiracies amid the dozens of
drug-trafficking arrests and indictments revealed last week.
Conspiracy 1
reportedly led by Jarvis Buchanan
Conspiracy 2
reportedly led by Silvestre Castaneda
Conspiracy 3
reportedly led by Alejandro Luna and Charley J. Gonzalez III
Safe Streets task force arrests: April 2011
Conspiracy 1
Jarvis T. Buchanan, 31:
Conspiracy with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine; maintaining drug involved premises; distribution of crack cocaine
Jermorris T. Sewell, 27:
Conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; maintaining a drug involved premises
Antonio T. Sewell, 29:
Conspiracy with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine; maintaining a drug involved premises.
Damon A. Porter, 31:
Conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute controlled substances; profiting from maintaining a drug involved premises
Jose A. Soto, 28:
Conspiracy with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine
Willie James Brooks 47:
Conspiracy with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine
Brenna Underwood, 25:
Conspiracy with intent to distribute and possession with intent to distribute crack cocaine; profiting from managing or controlling drug involved premises
Conspiracy 2
Silvestre Castaneda, 27:
Conspiracy with intent to distribute and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine
Pedro Castaneda Jr., 37:
Conspiracy with intent to distribute and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine
Osiris Espinoza, 30:
Conspiracy with intent to distribute and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine
Maritza Castaneda, 29:
Conspiracy with intent to distribute and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine
Alejandro Montoya, 43:
Conspiracy with intent to distribute and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine
Florencia DeLuna, 29:
Conspiracy with intent to distribute and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine
James Thomas, 63:
Conspiracy with intent to distribute and conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute cocaine
Conspiracy 3
Charley J. Gonzalez III, 39:
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine
Billy J. Gonzalez, 33:
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine
Alejandro V. Luna, 27:
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine
Augustine L. Luna, 32:
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine
Joseph Luna, 34:
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine
Narciso G. Soto III, 29:
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine
Antonio Angel Ray Flores, 23:
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine
Individual indictments
Justin E. Dominguez, 28:
Use of a communication facility to facilitate cocaine distribution
Yohansen Fincher, 24:
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine and crack cocaine; possession with intent to distribute cocaine; manufacture of crack cocaine; use of a communication facility to facilitate cocaine distribution
Caleb B. Hurst, 24:
Conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine; use of a communication facility to facilitate cocaine distribution
Arrested on criminal complaints
Miguel A. Zavala, 38:
Use of a communication facility, telephone, to possess cocaine with intent to distribute
Joshua Stephans, 34:
Use of a communication facility, telephone, to possess cocaine with intent to distribute
Trent D. Moore, 41:
Distribution of crack cocaine and cocaine
Ormey Douglas, 35:
Use of a communication facility, telephone, to distribute a controlled substance
Cedrick L. Griffin, 30:
Use of a communication facility, telephone, to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance
Charley J. Gonzalez IV, 22:
Use of a communication facility, telephone, to distribute marijuana
Albert J. Smith, 39:
Use of a communication facility, telephone to distribute a controlled substance
Edgar White, 33:
Use of a communication facility, telephone, to distribute a controlled substance
Scott Hedges, 32:
Use of a communication facility, telephone, to distribute a controlled substance
Benjamin B. Fisher, 33:
Use of a communication facility, telephone, to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance
Darrell A. Williams, 49:
Use of a communication facility, telephone, to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance
Robert D. Littlejohn, 23:
Use of a communication facility, telephone, to possess with intent to distribute a controlled substance
Christopher M. Salas, 36:
Being a felon in possession of a firearm
Booker T. Sewell, 31:
Being a felon in possession of a firearm
Source: Federal Court Documents ))
Now THAT'S what I call entertainment.
VERY well done, people!
It's also good to know that OUR particular drug "problem" isn't really anything to concern ourselves with in Fort Wayne...oh, wait...it IS.
The FWPD chief cracks me up when he says "The federal system brings resources we don't typically have"...'ya THINK?...like being able to ACTUALLY ARREST THESE FELONS...and BRING THEM TO JUSTICE. How's THAT for something we used to call COMPETENCY, Rus?
Doesn't look like ANY of these thugs will slip through the local prosecutor's fingers (as is too often the case) THIS time.
THIS is what happens when you go OVER the heads of the local prosecutor.
None of this "hands-off" approach...no wheeling and dealing (of drugs OR of sentencing), and no "back on the streets in 24 hours" crap.
This is exactly the kind of good sh*t that STICKS to the damn wall!
Yes, friends...sometimes, they get it right.
Curiously enough, it was JUST about one year ago, when I posted about THIS story concerning a similar situation with an entire family being busted for drug trafficking:

Here's the link to the source article from last year:
http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ft_wayne_major_cocaine_bust_puts_family_in_jail_200905281615_rev1 Now the amount of cocaine taken last year was about a KILO, and this latest bust was about FIVE KILOS, but you can see the "ease" that even THESE amounts of drugs can get into our city.
Just imagine if it were one of those $5 MILLION DOLLAR loads in a semi (like what goes into Newark, NJ...or Chicago, or most any other major city).
I had hoped they posted he damn PHOTOS of the ones the feds busted, JUST so I could see if ANY of them were "people of interest" to ME where I live.
I was also hoping they mentioned more GANG affiliations, so I could look for specific colors OR logos on clothing.
The way this story broke, I can only surmise that this IS still an ONGOING investigation, because you ALWAYS want to see who's on the NEXT RUNG UP on the drug ladder.
That's just SOP for the feds.
I also wished they would have released the names of those they're still looking for, because the BEST way to capture someone is to post their picture all over the place and add AS MANY sets of eyes to the mix. I might have one of them living down the street, and not even know it (and by the manner that those in a certain house conduct themselves, it would make sense that they ARE indeed involved in something illicit and possibly illegal).
Sure would be nice to put those people out of MY misery, along with all their "friends and family".
But, like Phil Marx had to endure, I also have to put up with all the information I provide to the FWPD (gratis) regarding trends in my area falling on fairly deaf ears for now. Like I mentioned last Friday...perhaps *I* need to climb up another rung on MY ladder to get the right people in my area to surveill certain houses.
Yeah, might have to do that soon enough.
At the least, it might be enough (having the feds visit these people) to make them move to another neighborhood. That would be a good start.
And it would send a strong message to their "friends" that maybe THEY should move elsewhere as well.
In any event, I can only hope that someone manages to get something right down here (be a welcome change).
Who knows...perhaps some local media source might even take the time to do a story about what REALLY is going on down here on the south side of Fort Wayne.
Lord knows there are PLENTY of stories that need to be told.
Perhaps they might even get THAT right too...you never can tell.
Be well, make a difference to someone, and...
Stay safe out there, America.