11 Arrested For Crack Cocaine Selling Conspiracy

Eleven people were charged with narcotics distribution offenses in and around Westchester. Geoffrey S. Berman, the U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of New York, said the 11 were presented in White Plains federal court Thursday.

Berman thanked the FBI and the Greenburgh police for helping get the defendants in custody.

"As alleged, these defendants were responsible for selling crack cocaine, a potentially lethal commodity that plagues far too many of our communities," he said.

The following were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute 280 grams and more of crack cocaine:

• Randy Sargeant, aka "Black"
• Kelvin Ganpat
• Jeancarlos Laureano, aka "Rico"
• Christopher Martinez, aka "Panama"
• Howard Meredith
• William Brito
• Amanda Coppolla
• Jamaal Peters, aka "Mega Head"
• Bert Hickson
• Christie Morrison
• Crystal Martinez

Berman said the illegal distribution took place from 2018 to Sept. 2019.

The indictment said the selling of drugs took place in Yonkers and Hartsdale and many of the accused were said to have phone conversations about selling narcotics.

The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison.

One home in Elmsford was raided Thursday by the FBI and Greenburgh police, along with other properties in Westchester and the Bronx, the Journal News reported.

Greenburgh Police Chief Brian Ryan said the arrests were an outstanding example of what can be achieved when local and federal law enforcement agencies collaborate.

"We are committed to maintaining our partnerships with all our law enforcement partners and staying vigilant in our efforts to keep our communities safe," he said.

Berman praised the outstanding investigative work of the FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force and the Greenburgh Drug and Alcohol Task Force. The FBI Westchester County Safe Streets Task Force is comprised of Special Agents and Task Force Officers from the FBI, US Probation, ATF, New York State Police, Westchester County PD, Westchester County DAs Office, NYPD, Yonkers PD, Mount Vernon PD, Peekskill PD, Greenburgh PD and New Rochelle PD. The Greenburgh Drug and Alcohol Task Force is comprised of investigators from the Greenburgh PD, Tarrytown PD, Sleepy Hollow PD, Dobbs Ferry PD, Ardsley PD, Irvington PD, Hastings PD and Elmsford PD.

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