Damian Williams, United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, Ricky J. Patel, Special Agent in Charge of Homeland Security Investigations (“HSI”) in New York, and Keechant L. Sewell, the Commissioner of the New York City Police Department (“NYPD”), announced the unsealing of an indictment today charging QUINCY HILLIARD, a/k/a “Tut,” CURTIS HILLIARD, a/k/a “Curt,” GARY BROWN, a/k/a “Gleme,” TERRENCE TURNER, a/k/a “Storm,” KASIEN ADDERLEY, a/k/a “Kaz,” TIRAN BRANCH, PEDRO RIVERA, a/k/a “Dro,” DERRICK LATIMORE, a/k/a “Derrick Lattimore,” a/k/a “Cone,” and ANTWAN ANDREWS, a/k/a “Antawan Andrews,” a/k/a “Twan,” with participating in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine in New York and New Jersey.
U.S. Attorney Damian Williams said: “As alleged in the Indictment, the defendants distributed vast quantities of cocaine in New York and New Jersey. Thanks to the extraordinary work of our partners at NYPD and HSI, the defendants now face federal charges for their crimes.”
HSI Acting Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel said: “The individuals arrested today were allegedly part of an organization that coordinated a cocaine pipeline to pour directly into the streets of New York City. HSI and the NYPD stand together in the fight to rid our communities of individuals responsible for dangerous narcotics flooding the streets with blatant disregard for the ripple effect that drug addiction has on millions of Americans. Working with our law enforcement partners, HSI will continue to prevent the flow of harmful drugs coming into our neighborhoods.”
NYPD Commissioner Keechant L. Sewell said: “Today’s federal indictment highlights how our NYPD investigators stop at nothing in their work to swiftly arrest anyone accused of distributing illegal narcotics in our city and region. I would like to thank the United States Attorney’s Office in the Southern District of New York, and all of our law enforcement partners, for their outstanding work in this important case.”
As alleged in the Indictment unsealed today in Manhattan federal court and in other court papers and proceedings:
From at least in or about 2020 to in or about February 2022, QUINCY HILLIARD, a/k/a “Tut,” CURTIS HILLIARD, a/k/a “Curt,” GARY BROWN, a/k/a “Gleme,” TERRENCE TURNER, a/k/a “Storm,” KASIEN ADDERLEY, a/k/a “Kaz,” TIRAN BRANCH, PEDRO RIVERA, a/k/a “Dro,” DERRICK LATIMORE, a/k/a “Derrick Lattimore,” a/k/a “Cone,” and ANTWAN ANDREWS, a/k/a “Antawan Andrews,” a/k/a “Twan,” operated a large-scale cocaine trafficking organization. This organization, which its members dubbed the “Downtown Mafia,” distributed wholesale quantities of cocaine in New Jersey and in the New York City area, including Harlem and the Bronx.
* * *
QUINCY HILLIARD, a/k/a “Tut,” 39, CURTIS HILLIARD, a/k/a “Curt,” 44, GARY BROWN, a/k/a “Gleme,” 43, TERRENCE TURNER, a/k/a “Storm,” 43, TIRAN BRANCH, 38, PEDRO RIVERA, a/k/a “Dro,” 38, DERRICK LATIMORE, a/k/a “Derrick Lattimore,” a/k/a “Cone,” 42, and ANTWAN ANDREWS, a/k/a “Antawan Andrews,” a/k/a “Twan,” 36, were arrested today and will be presented before United States Magistrate Judge Debra Freeman. KASIEN ADDERLEY, a/k/a “Kaz,” 39, remains at large. This case is assigned to United States District Judge Colleen McMahon.
All defendants are charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute five kilograms and more of cocaine and 28 grams and more of cocaine base, which carries a minimum sentence of ten years and a maximum sentence of life in prison. The maximum potential sentences in this case are prescribed by Congress and are provided here for informational purposes only, as any sentencing of a defendant would be determined by the judge.
This prosecution is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETF) investigation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level drug traffickers, money launderers, gangs, and transnational criminal organizations that threaten the United States by using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach that leverages the strengths of federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies against criminal networks.
Mr. Williams praised the outstanding investigative work of the Department of Homeland Security, Homeland Security Investigations, and the New York City Police Department. Mr. Williams also thanked the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New York – John F. Kennedy Airport Group, the United States Secret Service’s New York Field Office, the United States Marshals Service, United States Customs and Border Protection, the New York State Police, the New York City Department of Investigation, and the New York City Housing Authority for their assistance in the investigation.
The prosecution of this case is being handled by the Office’s Narcotics Unit. Assistant United States Attorneys Alexander Li, Andrew Rohrbach, and Ashley Nicolas are in charge of the prosecution.
The charges contained in the Indictment are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.