PO-PO, BREAKING: Maywood PD charges 23 with drug offenses [M]

Village of Maywood Press release:

Maywood Police Announce Major Drug Arrests
OPERATION DOUBLE TROUBLE

Maywood, Illinois- The Maywood Police Department announced charges today against 23 gang members in connection with a narcotics investigation, shutting down an open-air drug market near a church. Maywood Police in conjunction with Hillside Police, Cook County Sheriff's Office, and the Cook County State's Attorney's Office, in June of this year, formed Operation Double Trouble to combat the sale and distribution of illegal drugs. This operation focused on members of the Four Corner Hustlers and Mafia street gangs who where selling cocaine in the area between 18th and 20th at St. Charles Street in Maywood. Audio and video surveillance captured gang members selling drugs to undercover officers. (Copies of tapes will be made available for media.)

Warrants were issued for the following individuals charging them with delivery of a controlled substance within 1000 feet of a church: Reginald Tucker, 21; Jermaine Edwards, 23; Edward Long, 44; Lee Davis, 46; and Andrew Lindsey, 44 of Maywood. If convicted, each can receive a sentence of up to 30 years in prison. Other individuals charged with delivery of a controlled substance within 1000 feet of a church are: Julian Gadberry, 23; Khamion Myles, 17; Erwin Washington, 23; Earnest Watts, 17; Lee A. Davis, 42: Dayon Sanders, 18; Angel Banks, 37; Jermaine Mines, 25; Tristen Mallory, 25; and Deon Reed, 25 of Maywood; Reginald Hook, 22 of Westchester; Cleo Smith, 57 of Hillside; and Duane Matthews, 19 of Bellwood. Delivery of a controlled substance is a Class 1 Felony and is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. The four remaining individual charged are juvenile offenders. Bonds were set ranging from $100,000 to $1.5 million.

The success of the operation is based on cooperation between our regional law enforcement agencies and the citizens of Maywood. In an effort to address quality of life issues in the Western Suburbs, resources were pooled to combat the problem. Citizens of Maywood worked together with police by providing information on how the various groups operated. The Four Corner Hustlers and Mafia gangs were dealing almost 24 hours a day at certain locations, raking in as much as $5000 a day. As a result of their illegal activities, residents were being held hostage in their homes. Chief Williams states, "Today we have the satisfaction of knowing that our efforts are paying off. The elderly and children can now feel safe walking in their neighborhoods. This is just one phase of a many phased process to restore community health. More arrests are to come as we continue to combat illegal activity in the Village of Maywood and surrounding community. Our mission is to be responsive to community concerns, address emerging crime trends and patterns, and aggressively attempt to eliminate chronic crime conditions within the community."

There was a press conference at 10:00 AM. Any Proviso Probe readers attend?

Do you have comments on Operation Double Trouble?

[UPDATE: Hillside also had a press release.

Beginning in June 2006, The Village of Hillside and the Village of Maywood Police Departments along with the Cook County States Attorneys office joined forces to combat the increase of street level distribution of narcotics in the Western Suburbs. Today is the culmination of our efforts. Together we have secured 23 arrest warrants with bonds totaling more than 9.9 million dollars. All warrants obtained have been for the street dealer who has been dealing narcotics within 1000 feet of a school or church. If convicted these offenders each face up to 15 years in prison. This is the first phase of this operation as we continue to work hand in hand to combat the suburban drug problem. This joint operation is the first for Hillside, and we are proud to have teamed up with experienced officers from Maywood and the States Attorneys office. Crimes of this nature become a plague on our community and we will continue to work together to make our communities safe for our residents. The Hillside Police department has broken into a new era where we will call onto and support our neighboring communities in joining forces against drug dealers. Drug dealers do not adhere to invisible boarders of communities. From this time forward, neither will the Hillside Police department. If you sell drugs in our community, we will hunt you down and put you in jail. Each agency involved owes a special thanks to our residents who have assisted and have been patient as this operation developed.

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