Although Dwayne “Dubbs” Mitchell was beloved and known for his generosity in his Lower East Side neighborhood, he was also a notorious drug kingpin. The NYPD took down Mitchell and 10 other men, using techniques seemingly ripped out of HBO’s cop drama, The Wire.
The offices of District Attorney Cyrus R. Vance Jr. issued a statement regarding the indictment, announcing the charges faced by Mitchell and his cohorts. All 11 persons were slapped with a charge of Conspiracy in the Second Degree after a lengthy investigation led by the DA’s office in collaboration with the NYPD’s Narcotics Borough Manhattan South division.
From the press release:
The indictment follows a 21-month joint investigation by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and the NYPD’s Narcotics Borough Manhattan South. The investigation used a variety of techniques, including undercover operations, physical surveillance, and court-authorized electronic eavesdropping, in an effort to address persistent drug dealing among street crews on the Lower East Side.
“Drug dealers have no place in public housing,” said District Attorney Vance. “For years, these criminals are alleged to have run a large-scale drug operation out of the Jacob Riis Houses on the Lower East Side, a pocket of our city already struggling against crime and violence. Thanks to the heroic work of an undercover officer who managed to infiltrate this organization at its highest level, the drug dealing stops today.”
As found in the indictment, Mitchell, 35, had been purchasing large quantities of crack coke from Sabed Rahman, 29, boldly making their transactions at a downtown Manhattan Starbucks. Mitchell and his cronies conducted their business via cell phones, using coded language such as “chicken,” “food,” and “donuts” to mask their drug transactions.
An undercover officer was able to infiltrate the Dubbs drug empire along with placing the wire taps, and NYPD Commissioner Ray Kelly praised the efforts of his department.
“New York City police officers and especially the undercover officer in this case work[ed] tirelessly and often thanklessly to provide the residents of public housing with the same quality of life and sense of security taken for granted in other parts of the city,” said Kelly.
[Props to NY Mag]
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Photo: Google Maps (Jacob Riis Houses)
