FAR ROCKAWAY "OPERATION KNOCKDOWN" RESULTS IN ARREST OF SIX SUSPECTS AND SEIZURE OF COCAINE AND MARIJUANA WITH A STREET VALUE OF ALMOST $10,000

Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown announced today that "Operation Knockdown," a continuing initiative undertaken by the New York City Police Department in Southeast Queens working in partnership with the District Attorney's Narcotics Investigations Bureau has resulted in the arrest of six individuals on drug trafficking charges in Far Rockaway. In addition to the arrests, detectives seized 14 zip lock bags of cocaine and 14 packets of marijuana together with approximately a pound of loose marijuana from five Far Rockaway locations.

District Attorney Brown said, "Over the past five months police officers assigned to the Southeast Queens Initiative have made hundreds of arrests and executed 147 search warrants obtained by assistant district attorneys in neighborhoods throughout Southeast Queens in an all-out effort to rid neighborhoods of drug trafficking. Just last month, for example, raids were conducted at 10 Far Rockaway locations. More of these types of enforcement activities involving searches of suspected stash houses and small crack factories, as well as arrests for street sales can be expected."

The District Attorney also said, "Last Thursday evening detectives under the command of Captain Kevin Fitzgerald and Lieutenant John O'Mahoney of the Southeast Queens Initiative (SEQI) entered six locations and arrested a number of sellers of cocaine and marijuana. The arrests have helped to remove a scourge from the Far Rockaway section of Queens and will improve the quality of life for the decent, hard working people who live in the area."

The defendants arrested include four men and two women who are all neighborhood residents: Garmel Thomas, 21, of 265 Beach 19th Street; Diane Piccirello, 44, of 1367 McBride Street; Chanet King, 18, of 1045 Beach 20th Street; Anthony Kelly, 30, of 1045 Beach 20th Street; O'Neil Stewart, 36, of 1480 Beach Channel Drive; and Jamal Thompson, 19, of 1480 Beach Channel Drive. They have been charged with various crimes including criminal sale of a controlled substance, criminally using drug paraphernalia, possession of marijuana, and criminal sale of marijuana.

They were arraigned over this past weekend in Queens Criminal Court in Kew Gardens and face sentences ranging from one year to a maximum of 25 years in prison if convicted.

Senior Investigate Attorney Wilbert J. Le Melle of District Attorney Brown's Narcotics Investigation Bureau, under the supervision of Bureau Chief Peter A. Crusco and the overall supervision of Executive Assistant District Attorney Robert D. Alexander, is in charge of the prosecution.

It is to be noted that an arrest is merely an accusation and that a defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty.