Calumet City man among 12 charged in drug investigation
Sun-Times Media Wire May 25, 2012 8:02AM
Alejandro Medina | Photo courtesy of Chicago Police News Affairs
Article Extras
Updated: July 3, 2012 10:15AM
Chicago Police have arrested 12 people — including five in their 50s — allegedly involved in a drug market run by a Mexican drug cartel and Gangster Disciples that extends from Chicago’s South Side to the south suburbs.
Narcotics and South Chicago District police officers executed arrest warrants for 12 of the 14 people wanted from an investigation focusing on the 7900 blocks of South Bennett and South Yates avenues, according to police.
Officers used surveillance and infiltrated the drug market to make narcotics purchases.
In the process, they seized about 132 pounds of cannabis with a street value of $722,000, and $10,000 worth of crack cocaine, heroin and drug money, a release from police said.
Two semiautomatic handguns and five vehicles were also taken.
“The Chicago Police Department continues its efforts to alleviate violence and chronic narcotic markets in all neighborhoods,” Narcotics Cmdr. James O’Grady said in a statement.
Charged with various drug-related offenses were:
— Melvin Birgans, 55, of the 7700 block of South Bennett Avenue.
— Steven Willis, 23, of the 6700 block of South Jeffery Boulevard.
— Donald Strickland, 55, of the 8100 block of South Bennett Avenue.
— Darrell Williams, 22, of the 8000 block of South Euclid Avenue.
— Richard Pierce, 56, of the 2100 block of East 79th Street.
— Robert Brandy, 41, of the 7500 block of South Hoyne Avenue.
— Adrian Fields, 55, of the 7700 block of South Bennett Avenue.
— Gary Johnson, 56, of the 1700 block of East 78th Street.
— Alejandro Medina, 34, of the 500 block of Lincoln Avenue in Calumet City.
— Juan Castro, 28, of the 2500 block of Dorothy Drive in Aurora.
— Darryl Hardy, 32, of the 1000 block of East 41st Place.
— April Felton, 22, of the 7800 block of South Langley Avenue.
