June 25--At least 42 people have been charged in their alleged roles in a $3 million-a-year narcotics operation on the West Side of Chicago, according to authorities.
James Triplett, 33, ran the heroin operation near Grenshaw Street and Independence Boulevard in the North Lawndale area, according to federal complaints.
Triplett's supplier was Levaughn Collins, nicknamed "Sweet Bobby," who "obtained wholesale quantities of heroin which they mixed and packaged for distribution to buyers like Triplett," the complaints state.
Angeles Avalos, 32, was charged with being a heroin supplier to Collins, according to authorities.
Police announced the charges at a Wednesday afternoon news conference at Chicago Police Department headquarters.
Earlier Wednesday, Chicago police and federal agents executed seven search warrants at the homes of several people and three alleged stash houses and seized several vehicles, including a 2014 Maserati GranTurismo. Officials also seized a dozen firearms, about $50,000 in cash, and a kilogram of heroin and cocaine, officials said.
Triplett's crew distributed heroin in tiny bags with "orange basketballs, purple lady logos, green playboy bunnies, Hershey's kisses or black panda bear symbols stamped on them," according to a release from the U.S. attorney's office.
The spot was worth $250,000 a month to the organization, according to authorities. Most of the 42 charged are in custody.
Chicago police Superintendent Garry McCarthy said during the news conference that up to 45 gunshot victims could be attributed to this crew.
It's not clear whether investigations into any of those shootings led to charges, though no violence was charged as a result of the investigation announced Wednesday.
"We knew what Al Capone was doing, and the IRS got him for tax evasion," McCarthy said. "If we can't solve those crimes, getting the crew for narcotics is just as good in some cases. Especially when we're gonna get pretty stiff sentencing."
.jpg?w=600)
