Alleged Heroin Gang Hid Behind Rapper Nicknames: Indictment

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Alleged drug dealers hid their identities behind celebrity rapper nicknames and the lethal heroin-prescription drug cocktail they’re accused of peddling in secret zipper compartments, according to a federal court indictment unsealed Thursday in Detroit.

Seven people charged with conspiring to sell heroin across the Metro Detroit area — who used nicknames “Scoop,” “Snoop,” “Dre,” “Little Head,” “Da Da” and others — allegedly sold a combination of heroin and Fentanyl that left several people dead or seriously ill, The Detroit News reports.

The indictment is the latest action in a concentrated crackdown on the distribution of illegal narcotics and prescription drugs in Metro Detroit. In August, law enforcement officials from six states met in Detroit to discuss strategies to combat the growing heroin and opioid epidemic, and Michigan was identified as a key link in the pipeline.

In Wayne County, more than 60 people died after using heroin cut with Fentanyl, legally used as an anesthesia in surgeries and to treat pain before, during and after surgery. Oakland County law enforcement officials have said that opioid deaths doubled from 2013to 2014, and nationally, heroin deaths rose 172 percent from 2010-2013, according to the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Ages and hometowns of the seven men indicated after an investigation that goes back to 2014 were not immediately available. They are:

• Chris Coleman, aka “Snoop” and “Scoop.”
• Andre Little, aka “Dre.”
• Albert Street, aka “Curly and “Curl.”
• Floyd Shaw, aka “Biggs” and “Ray J.”
• Devon Street, aka “Lil Bro,” “CJ,” “Da Da” and “J Dirt.”
• James White, aka “Little Head.”
• Carlos Cozart, aka “Braces.”

The indictment said the alleged drug dealers hid the heroin in secret compartments sewn into their pants near the zippers.

The indictments follow a recent drug sweep along Woodward Avenue in July. Royal Oak Police Chief Corrigan O’Donohue, Detroit Police Chief James Craig and FBI Special Agent in Charge David Gelios were expected to join U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade at a news conference to discuss the latest indictments.

Related

• Michigan Part of Major Heroin, Opioid Pipeline
• Feds Charge 4 in ‘Killer’ Linked to 60 Deaths
• Large-Scale Heroin Raid Taking Place Along Woodward Corridor