Williamsburg Barbershop Brooklyn NY

http://gothamist.com/2016/02/25/williamsburg_haircut_horse.php

Williamsburg Barbershop Allegedly Doubled As Heroin & Coke Stash House
by Emma Whitford in News on Feb 25, 2016 3:45 pm

A storefront barbershop on South 4th Street in Williamsburg, a few blocks east of the BQE, doubled until quite recently as a stash house for a large-scale heroin and cocaine operation, according to an 157-count indictment announced today by the Brooklyn District Attorney's office. The arrest of 18 individuals in connection with the drug ring marks the second sizable heroin bust on Williamsburg's Southside since September.

“Drug dealers peddle poison that kills our neighbors, degrades our communities and frequently leads to violence," said Brooklyn DA Ken Thompson in a statement. "I have no tolerance for these activities and we will continue to aggressively prosecute these important cases.”

The eighteen defendants arraigned on Wednesday range in age from 17 to 30, and the majority of them live within blocks of L&L Barbershop at 336 South 4th—one of several alleged "safehouses." All of the defendants have been accused of possessing and selling cocaine and heroin between August 18, 2015 and February 18, 2016. Four of the group—Armando Baez, Radames Lopez, Juan Perez and Christopher Rodriguez—were allegedly in charge of bulk storage and repackaging, both at L&L and out of their own homes.

According to the DA's office, the group made between 20 and 40 transactions a day (deals were set up primarily through texts and phone calls) moving about $1 million in drugs annually. Defendants were charged with varying degrees of criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance.

In a second indictment, also announced Thursday, four defendants were charged with selling crack cocaine, heroin and marijuana to undercover NYPD officers between June and January. Prosecutors say the investigation was launched after a shooting in front of 417 Lorimer Street. Two of the defendants, Juan Pedraza, and his son Juan Pedraza Jr., live at the address. Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.