Thirteen new arrests have been made in the second phase of “Operation Dirty Ice,” a drug trafficking investigation on Chicago’s West Side.
Clifton “Big Homie” Coleman, 45, allegedly led a trafficking organization operating out of Austin, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Northern District of Illinois. Coleman, of Westchester, was charged with conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute.
Authorities seized three kilograms of heroin, 500 grams of crack cocaine, about $1.1 million cash, five handguns and a rifle in a search of homes in the neighborhood, prosecutors said.
The organization allegedly obtained and distributed 800 to 1,000 grams of heroin in Chicago each week, prosecutors said. They used two stash houses to mix the drugs with other substances, including sleeping pills.
Officers saw them conducting multiple hand-to-hand sales near the intersections of Chicago and Lavergne avenues and Chicago and Pine avenues during the investigation, prosecutors said. Police also coordinated undercover heroin purchases.
Twelve other people were arrested and charged with conspiracy to possess a controlled substance with the intent to distribute, prosecutors said.
- Tarrance “Squeak” Watson, 45, of Bellwood;
- Keith “Keke” Moore, 49, of Oak Park;
- Bernard “Sammy” Rowsey, 42, of Chicago;
- Rodney “Twinn” Rowsey, 41, of Chicago;
- Charles “Chuck” Armstrong,” 55, of Chicago;
- Dexter “Dex” Jones, 48, of Chicago;
- Vernon “Vito” Edwards, 49, of Chicago;
- Laveric “Lil Vito” Dawson, 36, of Chicago;
- Eric “Easy” Bernard, 53, of Chicago;
- Kenneth “Kenny” Bowdry, 57, of Chicago;
- Bryan “Bboy” Landfair, 58, of Chicago and
- Morris “Moose” Simmons, 59, of Chicago.
All made their initial court appearances in Chicago, according to prosecutors.
Twelve people were arrested during the first phase of “Operation Dirty Ice” in 2018.
