47 Indicted For Roles In Drug, Firearm Trafficking: NY AG

NEW YORK — New York Attorney General Letitia James announced Thursday that 47 people were indicted for what police said were their roles in two major drug and firearm distribution networks in the Capital Region and mid-Hudson Valley.

Prosecutors said the year-long investigation seized nearly 1.2 kilograms of cocaine, 140 grams of heroin mixed with fentanyl, oxycodone, $40,000 in cash and nine firearms, including one "ghost gun."

James said at a news conference that, for the past year, Albany and the surrounding areas have been plagued by violent crime that terrorized communities and claimed too many lives.

"These individuals have allegedly flooded our streets with dangerous narcotics and are responsible for many of the shootings that have been at the center of this devastation," she said.

"Today's takedown is yet another major action to combat violent crime and hold accountable those who seek to endanger our communities," James said.

The first of five indictments centered around the "Uptown Associates" gang and its leader, Jamar Brayboy a.k.a. "Un," and the "Downtown Associates" gang and its leader, Tyshawn Morris a.k.a. "Mac."

Brayboy employed a vast network of people to sell his drugs and had numerous reseller customers who brought heroin and cocaine from New York City to sell in and around the Capital Region, as well as Orange and New York counties, prosecutors said.

Brayboy even had resellers bringing drugs to Vermont and relied on Facebook to illegally sell his narcotics.

Morris also employed a large network of sellers and resellers who operated primarily in the Capital Region. He was charged with operating as a major trafficker, which carries a mandatory life sentence in state prison.

Both men and their co-conspirators used coded and cryptic terminology to try to disguise their illicit activities.

In addition to referring to crack cocaine as "hard" and powder cocaine as "soft," they tried to confuse law enforcement — if it was monitoring the gang's activities — by referring to crack cocaine as "Sour" and powder cocaine as "Kush," both of which are common names for marijuana.

The first indictment contained 521 counts and charged 33 people with crimes including operating as a major trafficker, criminal sale and criminal possession of a controlled substance and second-degree conspiracy, all felonies, James said.

The remaining indictments charged 47 people with crimes including various counts of criminal sale and criminal possession of a controlled substance, conspiracy to commit those crimes, various counts of criminal sale and possession of a firearm, criminal possession of a weapon and enterprise corruption.