newjerseynewsroom.com

BY ALICIA CRUZ

NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

Residents in several New Jersey counties, terrorized by criminal enterprise over the years have the joint efforts of the Safe Streets Task Force and the New Jersey U.S. Attorney’s Office to thank for one less thug on the streets.

Dowann "Red West" Andrade, 39, pleaded guilty April 26 in Trenton federal court to crack cocaine conspiracy and felon in possession of a firearm charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced. The Asbury Park career criminal admitted before U.S. District Judge Anne E. Thompson that he conspired to distribute 5 or more grams of crack cocaine in February 2008, and to possessing a 9mm pistol, and hollow-point bullets last year, while a convicted felon.

At his September 20 sentencing, assistant U.S. attorneys Peter Katz and Jennifer Davenport will recommend that Andrade, who was facing 50 years in prison, serve between three to five years in prison due to a plea agreement, the Asbury Park Press reported. There is no parole in the federal prison system.

The Safe Streets Task Force was established in 2006 by the FBI, and the Monmouth and Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office to address criminal avocation in those counties. At that time, members of the ruthless street gang, the Bloods, were involved in several homicides, drive-by shootings, assaults, witness retaliation and drug crimes in those counties.

The collaboration of the task force and other law enforcement agents resulted in the arrests and convictions of at least 19 narcotics cases, in Asbury Park, Monmouth and Ocean Counties in 2008 and 2009. Among those are the following:

Paul Harvin, 25, Samuel Boynton, 31, Terrance "Murk" Ousley, 23, John "Stix" Anderson, 22, Rashaan "Jigga" Davenport,22, and Ronald "Homicide" Snerling, all of Asbury Park pleaded guilty to crack cocaine distribution charges. The men were sentenced to between 60 and 130 months in prison.

Freehold resident, Marc Gill, 33, pleaded guilty in August 2009, to crack cocaine distribution and sentenced to 162 months in prison May 2010. Ahmad Irby, 30, of Asbury Park, pleaded guilty to distributing crack cocaine in July 2008, and received 130 months in prison. Extensive criminal records forced U.S. District Judges Mary L. Cooper and Garrett E. Brown Jr. to determine both men were career offenders.

Lakewood residents Gary Hairston, 30, Gregory Jones, 30, Jerry "JD" Dorsey, 25, Michael "Ski" Stallworth, 23, all pleaded guilty in 2007 and 2008 to crack cocaine distribution charges. Two of the Ocean County men, Jones and Stallworth, were deemed career criminals and sentenced between 195 and 210 months in prison.

Fishman attributed the January arrests of four members of the G-Shine Bloods street gang operating in Plainfield to the joint efforts of the Safe Streets Task Force, Union County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey State Police, and Plainfield Police Department's dedication to addressing and ending violent gang activity.

Andre "Duke" Kelly, 44, of Edison; Haleem "Hollar" McCoy, 26, a/k/a “Hollar,” Mustafa "Moose" Harris, 32, and Rajab "Snow" Gomez, 27, appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Dickson in Newark on drug and weapons charges. If convicted, the defendants could face 40 years in prison and a $2 million fine, the Sentinel reported.