LA Crips large scale PCP ring busted

South L.A. drug ring busted, nearly 7.7 million doses of PCP seized
print
Comments

By Joseph Serna
February 12, 2014, 11:32 a.m.

Federal authorities have seized about 7.7 million doses of PCP and arrested 20 people in connection with a drug ring tied to a South Los Angeles street gang, officials announced Wednesday.

In two indictments, authorities charged 40 people with ties to the Grape Street Crips gang with dozens of counts, including possessing and distributing the highly addictive hallucinogenic, also known as “angel dust,” illegal possession of specific illegal chemicals, maintaining a drug-involved property and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime.

Three of the defendants are in custody and 17 remain at large.

“Today’s operation breaks the grip that these drug makers and dealers have held on the neighborhoods of Watts and South Los Angeles by targeting the highest levels of PCP traffickers and those responsible for manufacture and distribution of this deadly drug,” U.S. Atty. Andre Birotte Jr. said in a statement.

The indictments and arrests come after a six-year investigation focused on Grape Street Crips' ties to PCP. Southern California is one of the major production hubs for the drug nationwide, officials said.

The gang was distributing the drug through couriers and mail to Texas, Maryland, North Carolina, Oklahoma and New York. Authorities seized about 100 gallons of PCP and its precursor chemicals, which equated to nearly 7.7 million doses.



http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-grape-street-gang-pcp-20140212,0,7369960.story#ixzz2t90BRTYb

cool... hopefully they'll give all of them vasectomy's while they're inside so they are no longer able to reproduce with their baby mama's and while they are doing hard labor for once their life, someone can throw me a few stacks of their drug money...

“Angel Dust” Arrests in LA Following Task Force Investigation into Crips Gang and Others

1

EmailShare


LOS ANGELES – Federal, state and local authorities this morning arrested 20 individuals who are named in two federal indictments that target manufacturers and distributors of Phencyclidine – commonly known as PCP or “angel dust” – a dangerous narcotic with deep ties to the violent Grape Street Crips and other South Los Angeles street gangs.


Following this morning’s takedown, federal prosecutors unsealed two indictments that charge a total of 40 defendants linked to laboratories where PCP is manufactured and the networks that distribute the drug across the nation. In addition to the 20 people arrested this morning, three defendants were already in custody, and 17 are fugitives or have not yet been fully identified.




Thirty-eight of the defendants are named in a 29-count indictment that outlines how precursor chemicals are obtained and used in the manufacturing process, which poses serious risks to public health and the environment. The indictment discusses how the prepared PCP is then stored and distributed around the nation.



“Historically, the principal location in the United States where PCP is manufactured is the Southern California area,” according to the indictment. “After PCP is manufactured, PCP traffickers typically distribute and transport PCP both within the Southern California area and to other regions in the United States, where PCP can be sold at higher prices and for greater profit.”




The indictment details the seizure of several PCP laboratories and how members of the narcotics-trafficking conspiracy distributed upwards of several thousand gallons of PCP. During the course of this investigation, authorities seized approximately 100 gallons of the drug and precursor chemicals that could have been used to manufacture thousands of gallons of the drug. A gallon of PCP contains approximately 76,800 doses of the highly addictive narcotic.




Toxic Poison



“PCP producers and suppliers deal a toxic poison that destroys minds and contaminates our neighborhoods,” said United States Attorney André Birotte Jr. “Today’s operation breaks the grip that these drug makers and dealers have held on the neighborhoods of Watts and South Los Angeles by targeting the highest levels of PCP traffickers and those responsible for manufacture and distribution of this deadly drug.”




In conjunction with this morning’s multi-agency effort against the Grape Street Crips, Los Angeles City Attorney Mike Feuer today announced his office will seek injunctions to curb gang activity at three properties, two of which are located on the same block of an early education center and an elementary school. The properties are known for gang-related narcotics dealing, PCP manufacturing, possession of firearms and other criminal activity, according to the City Attorney’s office.




The indictments unsealed today follow an investigation that concluded nearly six years ago after targeting PCP trafficking in South Los Angeles and illuminating the links between the drug and the Grape Street Crips. That earlier investigation resulted in federal charges against 12 defendants, two of whom received life sentences for their roles in manufacturing and distributing PCP.


The present investigation, which was conducted by the HIDTA and L.A. IMPACT task forces and the DEA, revealed a wide network of PCP manufacturers and distributors connected to the Grape Street and other South Los Angeles gangs. Investigators discovered that this network routinely delivered PCP, via couriers and mail, to other parts of the country, including Texas, Maryland, North Carolina, Oklahoma and New York.


The narcotics trafficking conspiracy allegedly was led by Anthony Dwight Bracken, a San Bernardino County-based PCP manufacturer, with strong ties to South Los Angeles. Other key players charged in the conspiracy include distributors Andre Brown, Anthony Wilson and Eligin Gary Hawkins, all of South Los Angeles.


All 38 defendants in the indictment are charged with conspiracy

to manufacture, distribute and possess with the intent to distribute PCP, and to illegally possess a listed chemical. Because of the quantity of narcotics and precursor chemicals involved in this case, all of the defendants potentially face sentences of life without parole in federal prison.

The indictment further charges various defendants with distribution and possession with intent to distribute PCP, illegal possession of a listed chemical, maintaining drug-involved premises, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and being a felon in possession of a firearm/ammunition.


A second indictment unsealed this morning charges two additional defendants in a conspiracy to distribute PCP.




An indictment contains allegations that a defendant has committed a crime. Every defendant is presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty in court.


The investigation into the PCP manufacturing and distribution network was conducted by the L.A. IMPACT Task Force (Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force), the HIDTA Task Force (High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Task Force) and the Drug Enforcement Administration. The Los Angeles City Attorney’s Office is partnering to take file civil “abatement” lawsuits at properties linked to criminal activity uncovered during this investigation. Los Angeles County Child Protective Services assisted during this morning’s takedown.
- See more at: http://www.lawfuel.com/angel-dust-arrests/#sthash.G2Va4Rxz.dpuf

I'm reading about "monster" Kody Scott an autobiography of an L.A. gang member right now. Them gang members love that p.c.p. I don't no why that shit is disgusting.

Is that book good?

The crips have been known for operating these pcp networks for a while, the crip gang leader who was involved with tupacs murder was also running a nationwide pcp ring too.

I think it sort of makes people feel invincible or something which is why i think gang members probably like it. I remember the death wish films where the bad guys seemed to always be smoking it, i think it was number 2.

Did they get the shot caller for the crips?

It's good but I'd be more than willing to bet a lot of it is extremely sensationalized if not out right fabricated. I mean, not like Richard Kuklinski level delusional, but there's just simply no way this guy shot as many people as he claims to have in the book.

Let's hope they round up the rest of them and lock their asses up for a long time. They are ruining the youth of America

i didn't mention anything about shot callers or rank, but its safe to say they took down some movers and shakers in high level drug trafficking within the grape street crips.

This might be quibbling, but isn't the name of the gang actually "Grape Street Watt Crips"? Or are they two different crip sets with similar names?

Hi Slumpy you are right. Technically they are the Grape Street Watts Crips. Everyone just calls them the Grape Street Crips. Even members of the gang call themselves the Grape Street Crips. The Watts part of their name is just used by law enforcement and gang experts to designate where they operate. Hope this helps.

@ Thebigfella ,"Did they get the shot caller for the crips?"

Officially there isn't a shot caller but de facto leaders. Most sets operate like a crew where the difference is experience.

@ Bigboy, I'm not certain on the membership but grape st is up there as one of the largest crip gangs in L.A.

@ paprincess, " hopefully they'll give all of them vasectomy's while they're inside so they are no longer able to reproduce with their baby mama's"

O.o
That's cruel & unusual punishment, besides l.a gangs are generational (members have parents & grandparents that's in it).

@bf I guess shot callers is for Spanish gangs in black gangs it's og's

I just wanted to add that not only is Grape Street just about the largest Crip gang they are one of the largest gangs in Los Angeles. They possibly might be the largest African American gang in Los Angeles at least they were a few years ago, which is what I am going by. They are definitely in the top three in terms of total membership in relation to the other African American gangs in Los Angeles County.

Can't believe people still like that garbage PCP. Nothing good about it...and it is far from enjoyable imo.

Years ago it was the local 1%er biker clubs that were the big pcp players here in the philly-south jersey area. Usually they would spray it on some type of smokeable substance and they'd call it Angle Dust. In powdered form they used to call it THC but it was in no way similar to real thc from weed.

So the gangbangers are big into the pcp bullshit? Good...they can have it.

I think the rolling 60s crips are the largest african american gang.Grape street are up there though they have been in the news recently for murdering rapper kevin "flip side" white who i think was affiliated with the bounty hunter bloods another major gang in LA.

What Crip that was involved in Tupacs death? Orlando Anderson?

Orlando andersons uncle keefe d was a southside crip OG who later on confessed to taking part in the murder, Anderson, Keefe and two others were in the car that night, hunting for Pac and his entourage through vegas. Keefe D was also running a large PCP ring that stretched to new york.

Thanks for the info. I had only heard about Andersons involvement, which is why i was confused that someone Andersons age was running a PCP ring.

Yes it is pretty good so far. I'm only at like half way so I have a little bit more to go. I'm sure he probably juiced his story up a little bit to sell some copies. But Kody Scott had reputation enough in his hood to sell his autobiography. Do I'm sure there are some made up tales but I'm sure most is pretty close to truth.

Come to think of it, how does the Tupacs entourages beating of Orlando fit into this? I mean was it just a massive coincidence that they bumped into and beat Orlando the same night he was looking for Tupac? Sorry for going off topic, it's just i've been interested in all of this lately after reading about the Rampart Scandal.

Hey Camarel. From what I have heard the beating took place over a snatched necklace. A few weeks before some Southside Crips snatched a Death Row chain from a couple of Pirus at a mall. Orlando, according to his family, was at the MGM just to see the fight. It just so happened that some guys from Deathrow saw Orlando and said he was a Southside Crip. The Deathrow guys decided to get some pay back. It should be said that Orlando never was indicted as a Southside Crip. However he was from South Compton, the stomping grounds of the Southside Crips. This is probably why they assumed he was a gang member. We will never know for use if this is how it went down, but this is a likely scenario.

The book murder rap by greg kading is a good read, he was the last detective to have investigated the tupac and biggie killings and is probably the most accurate and reliable account of what happened. Orlandos uncle confessed that he took part in the tupac hit. He told detectives that puffy was in fear for his life and offered up $1 million for both suge and tupac to be killed, the orlando beating was just coincidence and extra motivation for them that night. Also keefe d was heavily involved with drug trafficking with puffs close family friend eric zip martin who was the main conduit between puff and the south sides. He apparently gave keefe d the gun that night to do the job.

Thanks Scorsese. It is funny how the rest of Orlando's family says one thing and the uncle says another, who knows what really went on. I was wondering if you ever heard or read any reliable reports about Sean Combs selling drugs?

It seems he has always been on the periphery of a lot of drug cases (e.g. Jimmy Henchman). He has always been portrayed as the guy who helped keep Biggie out of the streets. I have read FBI reports but nothing conclusive about Combs. I also heard that Sean Combs put out a bounty on the aforementioned necklace and that indirectly caused the shooting. For a guy who claims to not be involved in crime he tends to always be around when people get killed, just saying. So many theories.

" Them gang members love that p.c.p. I don't no why that shit is disgusting."

Disgusting doesn't begin to describe it. If you get a chance, look up a rapper named 'Big Lurch'. He is serving a life sentence for doing something utterly disgusting while on PCP.

Orlando was definatley a certified southside crip with about five bodies to his name before he was killed.

I don't know about puffy actually selling drugs, i doubt it though. However you got to look at the people that he has had associated with him and hung out with and some of his associates have been arrested with over the years: Jimmy henchman, eric martin,BMF, crips.

Your right PCP is the worst of the worst. I would argue it is worth than bath salts. It seems as though Philadelphia and Los Angeles have the largest PCP markets.

Here is an excerpt on the Wikipedia page on Big Lurch about what he did.

On April 10, 2002, 25-year-old Singleton murdered Tynisha Ysais in her apartment in Los Angeles, California.[3]

The victim was found in her apartment by a friend. Her chest had been torn open and a three-inch blade was found broken off in her shoulder blade. Tooth marks were found on her face and on her lungs, which had been torn from her chest. An eyewitness reported that, when Singleton was picked up by police, he was naked, covered in blood, standing in the middle of the street, and staring at the sky. A medical examination performed shortly after his capture found human flesh in his stomach that was not his own. The victim's boyfriend said she and the aspiring rapper used PCP the day before the alleged murder took place.[1]

On November 7, 2003, Singleton was sentenced to life in prison.[3] He had been convicted of murder and aggravated mayhem the previous June after pleading not guilty by reason of insanity at the time of the murder. The court ruled that his intoxication and claimed insanity were not satisfactory reasons for committing the crime, after a court-appointed psychiatrist had evaluated Singleton and reported that he had no reason to believe he was of unsound mind, although Antron also had 3 court-appointed doctors who came to the conclusion that he was insane during the commission of the tragedy. The district attorney put in a motion for a directed verdict, stating that PCP intoxication can not be used as grounds for an insanity plea in California, and the judge granted it. Some evidence casts doubt on whether Big Lurch actually committed the murder, according to the 2011 documentary Rhyme and Punishment. Particularly, a bloody hand print on a scooter used to inflict blunt trauma to the back of the victim's head did not match his prints. Additionally, the scene contained DNA that did not match Singleton or the victim.[4] Currently, it is not known whether he will ever be eligible for parole.

The biggest bust and seizure ever of pcp was back in 2012 and involved members of the bounty hunter bloods.

Update: $100 Million PCP Drug Bust in Culver City and L.A. Is Biggest Seizure Ever
Two suspects were arrested Wednesday after trying to ship the drugs from a UPS store in Culver City.

Posted by Kelly Hartog (Editor) , February 18, 2012 at 02:31 PM
patch
Comment12 More

A man and woman were behind bars Friday in what authorities described as the biggest PCP bust in memory after 139 gallons of the drug, phencyclidine was seized in Los Angeles and Culver City.

Darryl Dwayne Burton, 55, and Lagina Bell Huckaby, 31, were arrested Wednesday at a UPS store in Culver City where they were allegedly trying to ship drugs, according to Lt. Scott Fairfield of the Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force, or L.A. IMPACT.

"It's the largest PCP seizure I've ever heard of," he said. Enough of the drug was seized to dose about 10 million people at cost of about $15 each, authorities said. About $389,000 in cash was seized.

The investigation stemmed from information received from Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agents in Los Angeles," Lt. Fairfield stated in a press release. L.A. IMPACT investigators developed the case and during the month-long investigation investigators learned that a suspect with links to a Los Angeles street gang was actively involved in the manufacturing of PCP.

That person was Burton, believed to be an associate of the Bounty Hunter Bloods street gang, Fairfield said. Search warrants were served at two South Los Angeles homes and two storage facilities, Fairfield said. An active drug lab was found in one home, and most of the PCP and chemicals for making were found in the storage facilities, he said.

Authorities believe the drug ring included at least 10 people locally, and that it was distributing to Texas, New York and Washington, D.C., and other points east. Investigators observed and intercepted suspicious deliveries that were addressed to locations in Texas. They detected a chemical odor emitting from the boxes and tests later confirmed the boxes contained PCP.

Two semiautomatic rifles were also seized, along with chemicals for making about 500 more gallons of the drug, which induces symptons similar to schizophrenia.

Burton, held on $3 million bail, and Huckaby, held on $2 million bail, pleaded not guilty to felony drug charges on Friday. Burton has two drug related convictions, authorities said. A gallon of PCP sells for about $12,000 in Los Angeles.

The psychoactive drug with hallucinogenic and neurotoxic effects was originally used as a surgical anesthetic after World War II, but later used only in veterinary medicine because of adverse side effects.

"I don't know about puffy actually selling drugs, i doubt it though. However you got to look at the people that he has had associated with him and hung out with and some of his associates have been arrested with over the years: Jimmy henchman, eric martin,BMF, crips. "

I guess Frank Sinatra must have been a heroin dealer.

Very well said, they are animals and we get to pay for their fuckin food stamps.

Yes. That's what I wanted to explain more, it's a graduation structure per say.
The longer your a member than the further your title becomes. Think of it as a guild; apprentice, journeyman, etc. but it's Yg, G, Og. But it vary from set to set and some are structured differently.

Crips/Bloods have been involved in PCP trafficking since the 70s and most people overlook that era. Everybody knows the 80s crack wars but before then most of these gangs were involved in other activities. Some already existed before the umbrella groups formed.

i know orlando anderson is dead (BURN IN HELL)

i hope the other three mothafuckas are dead, in jail, homeless, or clucked out

I'm gonna check that out now. Thank you.

Philly has a very large pcp market. I remember when I was in high school it was all over in my neighborhood.

My theory is that henchman may have been offering him protection in exchange for industry connections and know how. There have been rumours that henchman and hatian jack were extorting a lot of rappers so it may have been an extortion thing too.

Speaking of sinatra he was supposedly not very shy of throwing his mob connections around. Didn't he try and throw someone out of a plane or something.

I think tookie williams was high on pcp when he committed the murders he convicted for.

Hi Scorsese I have always suspected the same thing that Henchman and Jack had more influence in the early days of the rap game in NYC than we know.

You are right Tookie was on PCP when he killed those people at the convenient store.

on the dvd "Rhyme and Punishment".....Lurch is interviewed and disputes that report....noteworthy , because the mother of the victim supports/agrees with Lurch's account.


the lurch segment of the dvd is surely on youtube

Yea tookie was high out of his mind on pcp when he committed them murders. He killed the Chinese family. I think 3 people and there were others. But them murders sealed his fate.

I've never actually read anywhere that he was on PCP when he committed the murders. I'm aware thought that he was addicted to it at the time, and i thought the robberies were probably so he could by more of it. Apparently he started smoking large amounts of it, after he was shot.

Here is a link where they mention Tookie and his friends smoking PCP before.

http://crime.about.com/od/deathrow/a/tookie2.htm

Thank for the link. Tookie was a pos, even if he did apparently change he still needed to be executed. I mean why did he even have to kill them?

I have to agree with you Camarel. I know he did some good while he was on death row but the fact is he killed many people in cold blood and to be honest I do not think he was really sorry. He tried to make up for what he did with the children's books and all.

There are many people who will and do disagree but the bottom line Tookie was a lowlife who did not want to take responsibility for his actions. Good riddance IMO.

That lowlife punk Tookie got what he deserved....actually he got off easy with the lethal injection, they should of fried that prick in the electric chair or stuck him in the gas chamber. Fuck him!

They were begging Arnold to grant Stanley clemency but Schwarzenegger told that asshole :

"Tookie...i'll be back...but you won't! Hasta la vista scumbag!"

Lol Giancarlo that was awesome. I agree he did get off too easy, and he got to make peace with his family first before he died. He did not allow his victims that courtesy. He always apologized for not being a better role model to young African Americans but he never apologized to the families of his victims.

In one interview he blamed the drugs for his actions, which is more BS. Lots of people use drugs not many execute people in cold blood after they get high. He could not accept the fact he wsa a lowlife, junkie, leech, scumbag and quite frankly it is disgusting that there are people who defend him and believe his BS that he changed. Every death row inmate claims he or she changed once they got locked up and are about to be executed. Funny how that is lol.

People can change but they have to accept they have problems. I sound like I am in an AA Meeting lol.

I agree he HAD to die. The good deeds done in jail were done only because he was in jail. He was a monster and lethal injection served him well. I still laugh when I see video of him on the gong show flexing like a nice guy. When in reality he was a sick fuck. But made for movie type life so very interesting stories from his time.

It's not just that they believed he changed. Incredibly people actually bought his claims of innocence . Good Riddance !

Another thing about Tookie is that according to Sgt.Curtis Jackson of the LAPD, and Jimel Barnes former leader of the Avalon Garden Crips, Tookie was neither the leader or co-founder of the Crips and didn't even lead his own set.

http://www.gangsorus.com/crips_bloods_history.htm

That was an interesting read camarel thank you. I've always heard he was a founder so that was something new to me. So what exactly are we to go by? What's the truth?

No idea Philly Mob. I just thought it was an interesting different perspective. I have to say that a 30 year veteran of the LAPD and a former set leaders and an OG Jimel Barnes are credible, but at the end of the day it's their word against his. Here's a radio interview with Barnes were he talks about Tookie and Raymond Washington -

There was no link or anything there. I wouldn't mind hearing that.

?? I posted the video. Here is the link anyway - http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=HDHuY0kqg2U

Thanks for that information. That's one of the topic I was going to explain on about the crips interconflicts which other posters always mentioned. Some of those crip sets were already active before the umbrella alliance started and was already on bad terms with each other.

The truth is that Raymound is the founder. No matter whose recalling their part in the foundation , Raymound remains the lynchpin in the story.

tookie was just a Capricorn opportunist. he admitted he wanted to be remembered as a notorious gangster like al capone, who was also a Capricorn and his personal hero. the true history of the crips is still muddled,what we do know seems to indicate a linear progression in this order

avenues(headed by munson,who was older than Raymond and beat him up when he was still a young adolescent)--->baby avenue cribs(started by Raymond after munson's imprisonment)--->cribs---->crips(this is where people disagree-when did cribs evolve to crip?)---->east side crips/west side crips(this is when tookie comes into the picture)/Compton crips/Inglewood crips---->where we are today,when crips turn on themselves, and fractionalize into hundreds of subsets and alliances

In the book I'm reading it says that there was more crip on crip violence than say blood on crip or any other gang for that matter. They get all high on pcp and start blasting each other in their own sets. Or another set faction that broke off from another crip group. It is just funny to me that they kill more people with their own colors on then they do with rival gangs.

It's all turf battles and shoot outs over money. They fight each other over nothing and the shit has been going on for decades.

Thank you for that

No problem.

PCP scene from training day.

That's what I'm talking about it. Crips is just the name of the umbrella with sub partnerships under it. Each of those crip sets have their own colors,Neighborhood Alliance wear baby blue, Gangster Alliance is black I think, Grape St obviously purple, Fudge Town is brown, etc. People looking outside in just see blue vs blue, it's deeper than that. The on & off skirmish is basically vendetta, if someone kill a relative of yours and you know who done it than avenge your slain relative. Other words this isn't over some bs colors. It's personal & business.
Also, there's about 95 crip sets in the city and compare that to 32 blood sets in the city. Your running into your next door partners before your rivals.

RETURN TO DUST: BANE OF THE ’70S, PCP NOW A SUPPORTING PLAYER IN THE SAGA OF AARON HERNANDEZ

By Nancy Wride

The powerful street drug PCP, largely unheard of since its violent heyday in the 1970s, may go higher profile as evidence unfolds in the murder case of former New England Patriots star Aaron Hernandez, who was back in a Massachusetts courtroom Oct. 9 for a pre-trial hearing.

Hernandez’s testimony was mostly procedural, so the full picture of the talented but troubled tight end will have to wait for another day. It is a story, according to a recent report in Rolling Stone magazine, that will include a shocking plot twist — about the time he signed a $40-million contract with the Patriots in August 2012, Hernandez began habitually using the notorious drug known as “angel dust” during a period of escalating bad behavior that reportedly ended in the execution-style slaying of his friend, former semipro football player Lloyd Odin, in June.

Hernandez has pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder and weapons charges in Lloyd’s death.

“Aaron’s out of his mind,” an unnamed Hernandez family friend told Rolling Stone. “He’s been twisted on dust now for more than a year, which is when all of this crazy s— started.”

Angel dust has taken a back seat to more recent scourges like cocaine and methamphetamine during the last 30 years. But the hallucinogen known for making its users aggressive, paranoid, even psychotic, has recently staged a comeback in pockets of larger American cities, says one of law enforcement’s foremost PCP authorities.

‘I Want a Kobe’

PCP is a trifecta of stimulant, depressant and hallucinogen that causes a dream-like state, but at higher doses may leave the user with a sense of being invincible, says Los Angeles Police Department narcotics Det. Frank Lyga, who has investigated PCP for more than 16 years. Lyga, a member of California’s only complete clandestine lab team not run by the DEA, testifies in PCP cases throughout the country, in New York, Nevada and Texas, and such cities as Philadelphia, Atlanta and Washington, D.C. While angel dust sounds powdery, PCP is used almost entirely as a liquid, and ordered on the street by code.

“It’s sold using basketball names for the amount wanted,” Lyga said. For example, code for 24 ounces of the drug would be a reference to Kobe Bryant, No. 24 for the Lakers. “So,” Lyga says, “they’ll call up and say ‘I want a Kobe’ or ‘I want a Shaq.’ Or, ‘You want a Lamar?’ ”


“Two puffs I’m good, three puffs I’m whacked,” is the saying on the street, Det. Frank Lyga said. The amber liquid is PCP, while the pink is wax used in the manufacturing process. Photo courtesy LAPD
Developed in the 1950s as an intravenous anesthetic, PCP’s use was discontinued due to the high incidence of patients experiencing postoperative delirium with hallucinations. PCP is no longer produced or used for medical purposes in the United States. However, once it became a recreational drug of choice in the 1970s, angel dust was the stuff of legend among police officers for the almost superhuman strength and aggressiveness of people they encountered under its influence.

“There’s a saying on the street, ‘two puffs I’m good, three puffs I’m whacked,’ which is when people do crazy stuff like pull out their own teeth,” Lyga said. Based on increased production and levels of seized product in places where gangs have spread, there’s been a rise in PCP use in many regions of America.

One of those places is Bristol, Conn., Hernandez’s hometown. “We have been experiencing a resurgence in the use of angel dust,” Bristol Det. Lt. Kevin Morrell told Rolling Stone. “We deal with it all the time.”

The use of PCP, also called “wet,” is reported to have contributed to Hernandez’s alleged manic behavior during the months leading up to his arrest. During that time, he became so paranoid that he installed 14 security cameras in his mansion and began carrying a handgun in his gym bag, according to the magazine. Hernandez is also being investigated as a suspect in the double homicide of two men in an SUV in 2012 who had just left a Boston nightclub when they were sprayed with bullets from another vehicle.

“Angel dust had begun to take him on this real death spiral for the last 13 to 14 months,” Rolling Stone writer Paul Solotaroff told Boston’s CBS News, “which is when the really deranged behavior began.”

It is not known whether PCP will ultimately be introduced by the defense or the prosecution in Hernandez’s murder trial. Nevertheless, Hernandez’s story has cast light on the growth of one of the most dangerous drugs to hit the streets.

Nation’s PCP Is Coming From L.A.

Los Angeles is the nation’s epicenter of angel dust production, according to Lyga and others in law enforcement.

“PCP production and distribution from Los Angeles has been increasing steadily,” DEA spokeswoman Dawn Dearden said, though noting that the drug is not the focus of the agency’s biggest cases. “Los Angeles-based street gangs continue to dominate the manufacture and distribution of PCP, continuing to serve as a major source area for PCP seized in, or destined for, other parts of the country [including] the Midwest and East Coast cities.”

Lyga said many police agencies don’t have the experience or the desire to deal with PCP users, who may violently resist arrest, which makes for unflattering cell phone videos “for the blue-suiters.” Lately, PCP has been mistaken by law enforcement for bath salts.

PCP intended for shipment via FedEx.
PCP intended for shipment via FedEx. The drug is often mailed to legitimate businesses cross-country and then signed for by a gang member masquerading as an employee.
Photo courtesy LAPD
“In July, for instance, a suspected PCP lab blew up a house outside Atlanta on a Saturday, Lyga said, “and the DEA called on Wednesday to have me write up the search warrant for what chemicals they should be looking for. A lot of police departments don’t have the experience [with PCP] to know what they’re finding.”

But the drug is out there and moving interstate, Lyga said, most popularly via the U.S. Postal Service.

“My team of people and a couple of others, including the U.S. postal inspector, [are] intercepting PCP on a regular basis being shipped across the country,” Lyga said, “so the seizure amount is up from years past.”

Just last year, $100 million worth of PCP – considered the largest PCP bust ever – was seized in Los Angeles and Culver City by the team on which Lyga and other Southern California police officers serve. Lt. Scott Fairfield of the Los Angeles Interagency Metropolitan Police Apprehension Crime Task Force, known as L.A. IMPACT, announced the seizure of 130 gallons of finished PCP, 1,000 gallons of PCP-making chemical to produce millions more of the drug, as well as assault rifles and $389,000 in cash. Suspected gang members were arrested and raids conducted on several locations. (What was first announced in the media as 500 gallons of the chemical was, Lyga said, based on his preliminary estimate, and the actual amount was about 1,000 gallons.)

Though production and trafficking are up, and police in some cities report an uptick of problems, PCP’s criminal profile has remained low for some years, according to the National Institute of Drug Abuse. The District of Columbia is the big exception. The Office of National Drug Control policy reports that D.C. leads the nation in PCP arrests, with 12 percent of men detained last year having PCP in their systems, according to a recent Arrestee Drug Abuse Monitoring Program.

Results from the U.S. government’s 2012 National Survey on Drug Use and Health published in September show that the number of past year initiates of PCP aged 12 or older was 90,000 in 2012, up from the 2011 estimate of 48,000.

In Camden, N.J., PCP is growing in popularity among young men and women, according to the U.S. Department of Justice’s Philadelphia/Camden drug market analysis, which notes the drug is “less expensive than crack cocaine.” Authorities in Monroe, La., have had a string of arrests over the summer surrounding people using PCP, reports KNOE News. “Not sure why that is but when there is an influx in PCP in the area, we see an increase in number of calls when people are exhibiting bizarre behavior,” said Jimmy Fried with the Monroe Police Department.

Authorities in Missouri are also seeing an uptick in the use of PCP, according to Fox4kc.com. Kansas City police believe the drug may be responsible for an attack on an ambulance worker in 2012. The news station reported that “Kansas City police are investigating the use of PCP in the city’s urban core, trying to figure out where the drug is coming from.”

‘Functioning Addicts’ on West Coast

Lyga, the PCP specialist who trains law enforcement on how to recognize and handle angel dust, says most users go unnoticed; the drug’s quick evaporation on a cigarette and lack of odor helps PCP users fly under the radar.

One drop on the end of a cigarette, two puffs, and the $10- to $20-high typically peaks at four to eight hours, but may leave a user altered for 24 hours. And it is not uncommon to find users “dipping” the cigarette into the PCP, which is the equivalent of up to 60 times one dose, said Lyga, adding, “that’s when more of the bizarre and violent behavior happens.”

Award 2012
LAPD narcotics Det. Frank Lyga, center, and PCP-assigned detectives on the L.A. IMPACT team gather with the director of the DEA in Washington, D.C. The officers from Los Angeles were honored for the seizure of $100 million in PCP in 2012. Photo courtesy LAPD
“We have people under the influence [on the West Coast] but they’re functioning addicts,” Lyga said, meaning they don’t seem to overdose and attract attention or medical aid, hospital visits being one measure of use. “The rest of the country, they are being overwhelmed with PCP, which is becoming the drug of choice for the rest of the United States,” Lyga said. “Gang members from South L.A. produce it nationwide and they own a monopoly; it all comes from here, 95 to 99% comes from here.”

L.A. gangs are either transporting it or have members who have relocated cross-country.

“My gangs here, they ship it UPS, priority mail, people fly into L.A .almost daily to pick it up and carry it out,” Lyga said. “They’ve been known to mail it to legitimate businesses, and they sit out front in the car. When the tractor-trailer driver [with deliveries] pulls up, they jump in, sign for it and off they go.”

The difference between a light-headed, out-of-body high and an overdose of PCP is astonishing.

Lyga noted a horrific case on which he recently commented in a segment of A&E’s Biography program about an aspiring rapper named Antron Singleton, aka Big Lurch. Dubbed the Cannibal Rapper on Hiphopp03ress.com, he said during the program’s prison interview that in April 2002, he was hallucinating on PCP when he says he was driven to rid his girlfriend of demons inhabiting her. He devoured some of her organs and part of her face. Lyga says in such cases, the prevailing cultural horror story – right now zombies are big – will often emerge in the tale of criminals who describe hearing voices directing them to kill some demonic creature.

While other drugs, such as meth and cocaine may get more ink in the media, PCP manufacturing is actively raided.

“There’s 150 to 200 gallons a year that I seize,” Lyga said. “There are 76,800 doses in one gallon. That’s more than 15 million doses worth of PCP confiscated in the Los Angeles area alone — not the amount of the drug actually in play. We’re good at what we do, but we get under 1 percent of it, and rarely do we get a lab or a big bunch of the stuff because it’s … sold fast.” The drug is “not physically addicting; it’s psychologically addicting,” Lyga said. “It’s a stimulant, a depressive and a hallucinogen – all three at one time.”

From the medical perspective, “PCP is the fifth-largest cause of emergency room visits of all illicit drugs with 75,000 [emergency room] visits a year in the U.S.,” said Dr. David Sack, CEO of Elements Behavioral Health, who treats addicts of all kinds.

“PCP has a high incidence of psychiatric complications including hallucinations, agitation, anxiety, paranoia, perceptual changes, irritability and unpredictable behavior,” Sack said. “Historically, PCP appealed to young adults and was frequently used in combination with marijuana. We have not seen a marked uptick at our programs and it is remains relatively uncommon compared with other illicit drugs in our centers.”

The effects of angel dust are legendary in law enforcement. ”Kids fighting four of us and running naked down the street because their body temp is going through the roof,” Morrell said to Rolling Stone. In the ’70s, before there was widespread use of meth and crack, “dust was the madman’s drug of choice,” the magazine reported. It was banned for its “psych-ward side effects: mania, delirium, violent hallucinations.”

A wealth of PCP arrests has led Slate.com to create a regular feature called “The Month in PCP,” with a July segment featuring the story of a 32-year-old driver who hit three employees, a fire hydrant, a parking meter, a tree, and a man riding a CitiBike. The driver, who allegedly had a bag of PCP in his sock, kept asking, “Am I dead?” when authorities arrived.

Here are some other PCP-related crimes:

Remains of tub that was used in manufacturing process.
Remains of tub that was used in manufacturing process. Photo courtesy LAPD
Camden, N.J., resident Osvaldo Rivera, 31, told police that he smoked a combination of PCP and pot before he allegedly slit the throats of a 6-year-old boy and his 12-year-old sister in September 2012.

Also in Camden, authorities say Chevonne Thomas was smoking PCP before beheading her 2-year-old son, Zahree, putting his head in a freezer, and then killing herself in August 2012.

In Oklahoma City, a man reportedly high on PCP was arrested after he was seen running down the street naked. The man’s mother said that when she tried to talk to him, he yelled “Alah to God! I am Bootsey.”

And in a story that received international attention, police say a patient on PCP being taken to the hospital in the District of Columbia by an ambulance jumped out and stole a second ambulance that had arrived to help him.

Nancy Wride is a senior writer at Elements Behavioral Health. Before that, Wride spent more than two decades as a reporter at the Los Angeles Times.

Big Lurch Baby!

Good article Scorsese.

I remember when that bitch in Camden chopped her kids head off, then later when she realised what she did she killed herself. It was only a year or so ago. Just evil shit.

I really had no idea that garbage was still popular. I thought people finally wised up...but i guess not.

Different Crip sets are at each others throat all the time as well, especially in the West Coast. Same can apparently be said for Bloods sets in New Jersey. There are even alliances between some Crips and Bloods sets. As with everything, it's all about business.

I know right fuck pcp.....just smoke some meth!

Or take some Bath salts if you'd like to go all the way

Del years ago it was the local 1%er biker clubs that were moving that pcp shit. They were wired shitless on meth and then at the same time they would be tripping on the Angel Dust....total fucking homicidal lunatics.

damn talk about tweaking your balls off.

To be fair I don't think everyone reacts that way to it that way. Its the same as any other psychedelic some people have a bad trip off of it.

Just wondering BF,Scorcese,etc, do you think the Rampart officers, namely David Mack were involved in Biggies murder?

Greg kading the detective in charge of the task force investigating the murder debunks that theory in murder rap. A lot of the evidence that supported most of that theory came from jailhouse informants that were later on discredited and recanted there stories. Also it turned out the shooter in that theory amir muhhamad was a nobody and also may have been mixed up with a member of the main street crips gang known as stutter box who was big into fraud and also used the alias amir Muhammad, but nothing ever came of that revelation other than it was just a coincidence. He was also an informant for greg kading and they dumped after he was found to be unreliable.

Funny story about stutter box he was actually kidnapped off the streets on order from the main street crips leader, they beat and demanded money, he later on escaped and told police he was kidnapped and beaten in retaliation for a blackmail and extortion plot against shaqulle oneal involving a sex tape. Shaq was doing a lot of charity work and events in south central and the main street crips leader was the organiser of one of these events and didn't like what stutter box was doing so he had him kidnapped.

Currently speaking I think some sets have a peace agreement. But the bloods on the east coast except some are the UBN sets from NY. It's like reverse regardless in that region.

I think there is some sort of networking between high ranking gang members and leaders and also drug traffickers from different gangs working together, also in this instance in new york different bloods gangs were working together to intimidate witnesses on rikers island.
http://www.nydailynews.com/news/crime/bl...rticle-1.110281

Yea I believe he was camarel. There was so much shady shit going on at that tine in the LAPD. Check out the biggie and Tapac documentary by Nick Broomfield. It was very good and they talk about David Mack and lots of others.

I wasn't sure how to copy the and post the link here if someone can help

Thanks, Phillymob. I actually watched that Doc when i was very young, but i barely remember it. I've been reading up on the Rampart scandal recently, because i have just started watching The Shield recently and it's based on it and was originally going to be called Rampart. Anyway i'll watch the doc when i have the time. Here it is for anyone else who want to watch it -

Not for nothing, but i think your putting a bit too much stock in that theory.

BIGs mom had a lawsuit against the LAPD specifically cause of macks and everyone involved in that theory of the crime but then her lawyers dropped all those people from it because they didn't have much faith in that theory.

I'm giving no stock into that theory. It's just i'm really interested in the Rampart scandal right now, and this is one of the related theories. Also the fact that members of the Rampart division worker security for Suge Knight and were pictured making gang signs, and apparently Mack is a full-fledged Blood in prison now. None of this gives credence to the theory and i'm not implying it does but it's still interesting regardless. Btw i forgot to thank you for your reponse to me earlier.

I was also meaning to ask you were you read/heard that Keefe admitted to his and his nephews involvement in Tupacs death? Also why Keefe or noone else involved were ever prosecuted?

my bad camarel. Don't mean to come off like a know it all just that i read up a lot on this topic.

Its from greg kadings book murder rap (i know I'm bringing it up quite a lot and i sound like a fan boy).

He's goes into how they went through and broke down a lot of the theories and speculation about the crime and how they were able to disprove a lot of it through their investigation and narrow it in back to the crips and bloods.

Also look at the actual biggie hit and bring in the david mack theory and everything it alleges. Including the vehicle which in that theory is registered to mack, why would a experienced professional police officer use his own car in a hit.

Kading worked the drug investigation into keefes pcp ring in the hopes that he would fess to biggies murder which they were initially investigating instead of him and most of his family going to jail. He ended up admitting to the tupac slaying during meetings with kading and other detectives and was ready to wear a wire against zip martin who was the main conduit between him and puffy. The plan was to hopefully flip zip on puffy. Keefe said they had nothing to do with biggies murder and that they in fact were warning them the night of the shooting that there were many death row bloods in the venue.

What happened with all of this was that the lawsuit was the initial reason for the reopening of the investigation as soon as the task force had enough credible evidence that the crips killed tupac and that suge knight had ordered a bloods gang member to kill biggie, LAPD were in the clear, and no longer had to worry about the costly lawsuit hanging over them so they started to wind the investigation down by taking kading who was the lead off of it.

No problem Scorcese, i appreciate all of the info you've gave me. I'm aware your very knowledgable on all of this, and i'll buy that book now from your reccomendation. I have to ask though has there been any confirmation on Kadings claims that Keefe confessed? Like is there any official documentaion, or did any of the other detectives who were present during the confession come forward? Sorry if this is all basic information, but i'm relatively new to all of this.

Yeah i agree with your points on Mack using his own car and all of the Amir Muhammed stuff from earlier. Can i ask if you still think Suge was involved but unrelated to the Rampart officers? Or if you have your own theory on what happened? Sorry for all the questions after you answer these i'll butt out of this thread because i've clearly turned it into my own unrelated topics, from the Biggie and Tupac murders and Rampart to Tookie to the founding of the crips . I have to say one more time thank you for taking the time to answer my questions on nearly 20 year old murders

Kadings released a few pages of reports but i can't give a definite answer, again since no one was prosecuted or convicted its just another theory although a very credible one at that.

He's actually got his own thread on the makaveli board where he answers questions and calls out russel poole and conspiracy theorists.
http://www.makaveli-board.net/showthread.php?30727-Greg-Kading-s-Murder-Rap-Thread

Also I've posted this before but its a good in depth inter view with greg kading and he basically lays out each case.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kM-MQTUzzuU

Thanks for both. I have alot to go through there so when i do, if i have any follow up questions i'll start a new thread or revive an old one about Tupac.

Suge had off-duty officers working for him as security, to what degree he and his gang associates would trust them and allow them into the inner workings of death row is up for speculation. It should be noted though that many outside agencies were very weary of working with compton pd when it came to that investigation. In other words there were many officers who were compromised just for working security with death row.

Also i got no problem answering these questions. I don't mind where the discussion goes as long as it stays within the realm of the topic and doesn't go off into social issues or insults.

I see what you're saying regarding Compton PD, all of the focus has been on LAPD even though Compton has connections to both and Tupac was possibly murdered by members of the Compton Crips. Come to think of it, i see no reason regardless of how much bs people think came from him that Rafael Pérez would fail to mention or would've no knowledge of Macks connection to Biggies death. Is there no alternate theory that you've heard on Biggies murder, that makes more sense?

I have enjoyed discussing this with you. I assure you no insults or Race discussions will be brought up by me, if another member does then i'll leave this thread myself.

my reference to compton pd is mostly due to the fact that a number of compton officers were working for death row at the time and also Suge knight was affiliated with the mob piru gang which was also based in compton. But yeah you are right tupacs shooters were most likely members of south side compton crips, specifically orlando "baby lane" anderson and his uncle keefe d. This is why there was a gang war between the two groups after tupacs death.

Also i should mention raphael perez has a very questionable credibility, he was known to lie and exaggerate other officers involvement in misconduct, obviously with mack there was no question of his corruption. i forgot to address that part.

Another LA gang member involved with music.
Eugene "Big U" Henley is a rolling 60s crip OG and also involved with managing artists and is friends with Suge Knight. I think he also produced some shitty straight to DVD film aswell with Ving Rhames.

He was present during an officer involved shooting back in 2011 when he got into an altercation with a rapper that was formerly under his management company.
Rapper Nipsey Hussle linked to an officer involved shooting in South LA
LAPD

By Alex Alonso
Streetgangs.com Staff Writer
March 18, 2011 11:58 p.m.
The LAPD are still investigating an officer involved shooting that took place Friday evening at Crenshaw and Slauson in South Los Angeles. The LAPD had been responding to a fight between Los Angeles based rapper Ermias “Nipsey Hussle” Asghedom, 25, and his former manager Eugene “Big U” Henley.
The two were once close business partners when the rapper signed with Cinematic/Epic records in 2007. Plans to release his first studio album, South Central State of Mind, were to follow after his three mixtapes from the series Bullets Aint Got No Name were an instant hit on the underground, but that album was never released.
This evening the two men got into physical altercation near the alley at the rear of the Shell gas station at Crenshaw and Slauson in Hyde Park. According to eye witnesses, Nipsey’s brother, Samiel Asghedom pulled out a gun to defend his brother and fired into the air to end the conflict. That’s when an LAPD officer arrived on the scene and fired at the brother, missing him.
Eugene "Big U" Henley
Eugene "Big U" Henley
According to LAPD Sergeant Ron Lopez, no one was hit and five people were taken into custody. Sgt. Lopez told streetgangs.com that no one has been booked yet, so the names of those five individuals have not been released, but we know that Henley, Nipsey and his brother were taken into custody Friday night and are being held at LAPD’s 77th Division.
Henley is the executive director of Developing Options, a non-profit community revitalization team dedicated to empowering youth from underprivileged communities in South LA.
- See more at: http://www.streetgangs.com/features/031811_ois_lapd#sthash.AYmRRSPp.dpuf

He was arrested back in 92 after being set up in a sting operation.

SOUTHWEST LOS ANGELES : Reputed Crips Chief Gets 23 Years in Robbery Try
Metropolitan Digest / Los Angeles County News In Brief
July 21, 1992
Email
Share

A reputed kingpin of one of Los Angeles' most notorious Crips factions was sentenced Monday to 23 years in prison for trying to rob an undercover sheriff's deputy of 33 pounds of cocaine.

Eugene Henley, 26, known as "Big U," was arrested last December in a sting operation after he and a friend, Eddie J. Wagner, tried to rob an undercover officer who they apparently believed was a drug dealer, said Deputy Dist. Atty. Dan Feldstern.



Wagner, who was sentenced to 32 years, had arranged to purchase the cocaine from the officer, Feldstern said. But Henley arrived with a gun and demanded that the deputy hand over the drugs. Other officers watching the exchange moved in and arrested both men.

Although Henley denied any gang affiliation, he was described by gang experts as a leader, if not the top man, in the Rollin' 60s--a heavily armed Crips gang based in Southwest Los Angeles.

violence, anger and meth aren't the only answers to hard problems. one needs to learn to adapt to their surroundings, my question to the guys that robbed the undercover officer would be, did they think the undercover was going to cut them out of their piece of the quick profit? do you know what a pain in the ass is would be to deal pounds of ROBBED cocaine? if you MUST deal try and be fair

Big U got linked in to the music industry when he met Harry-O in the pen.

There was another rolling 60 crip that was affiliated with death row called "keita rock" who was later convicted of manslaughter in arizona. He was apparently a shot caller.
Ive also read he was part of a gang prevention programme based out of a clothing store called the playground that bill clinton came to visit but it got shut down.

With felonies on their records...hard for ex-cons to get legit jobs.

This "gang prevention" hustle is one of the few ways that they can meet the terms of parole or probation by landing a payroll job.

It's the one occupation where their past is a PLUS.


From the outside looking in...I'd guess that 75% of them are going through the motions and still doing illegal activity on the side.




When Tookie was about to be executed I read or saw something about how.....on the night of the killings that he got convicted for.....he was employed at a halfway house as some sort of gang prevention counselor.

@scorcese


that article is why the feds never took bloods or crips serously

their leaders rob liqour stores

now they get into other shit but they're unorganized and kill over colors

52 Hoover Criminals, Rolling 60s, Pueblo Bishops, and Black P Stones are well known to be organized in L.A.

I cannot speak for other places but here in LA, it is mostly Crips killing Crips and Bloods killing Bloods. These days you are safer with guys from a rival gang than you are with your own crew. I realize not every gang is like this but it is common knowledge that the Crips and Bloods mostly beef within their own gangs now.

I think the feds take them pretty seriously, they have had their fair share of major indictments over the years.

Some of those BGF leaders in baltimore were also doing the same thing with gang and violence prevention programmes there too whilst operating the gang and drug trafficking. The guy i mentioned above Big U also runs a community outreach programme and youth charity thing, which to be fair isn't wrong cause they do genuinely do some good when they get involved with individual problems and conflicts and have helped in certain areas.

Bounty Hunter Triple OGs Speak At Flipside's Funeral
October 23, 2013
There probably were more ex-convicts with knockout punches gathered outside a Watts Baptist church at 114th Street and Graham Avenue recently than there were in all the gyms in Los Angeles that day.

The hard hitters — Bounty Hunter Bloods from Nickerson Gardens housing project — were convened at Macedonia Baptist Church, not to wreak havoc but to hear the wiser, original gangsters, the "Triple O.G.s," exhort them to not "grab your Glocks" and "hunt down the killers" of a beloved homie.

The gathering was, in a real sense, a state funeral for Nickerson Gardens: a somber, loving, sometimes humorous farewell to Kevin "Flipside" White, aka "Dirty Kev," a rapper with O.F.T.B. (Operation From The Bottom) who signed with Death Row Records in the 1990s. White, 44, was gunned down on Sept. 23 in front of his childhood home, about 500 feet from the church.

Ten minutes after Flip White was killed, Markice "Chiccen" Brider, 29, was shot to death a few blocks east on 114th Street at Imperial Courts housing project. The Los Angeles Police Department arrested three suspects for both shootings — Grape Street Crips from Jordan Downs project in Watts — but only one has been charged.

Fear of a return to the bloody Watts of decades past put everyone on red alert.

Inside Macedonia Baptist, a Triple O.G. from way back, Ronald "Kartoon" Antwine, 54, shared tender remembrances of Flipside. He then urged the Bounty Hunters, L.A.'s most infamous Bloods, not to retaliate against Grape Street.

"Let the police do their job," Antwine said. "Outside this church right now is the LAPD officer who did what he was supposed to do that night — and caught the shooters."

Then something extraordinary happened. The overflowing congregation of 700 people stood and loudly cheered. It went on for 20 seconds.

"For the people of Watts to applaud about the LAPD making an arrest is such a huge transformation — that clearly shows what we have built with that community," LAPD Sgt. Emada Tingirides says.

The long applause was "the culmination of years of partnerships between the police, interventionists and the community," says her husband, LAPD Capt. Phillip Tingirides. "We're in a good relationship with the community, especially Nickerson and Imperial. The police do care."

A few blocks away, the repast for Markice "Chiccen" Brider was held. Brider's cousin Deshawn Cole, who was featured in L.A. Weekly's April 4 article "A Gay Leader Emerges in the 'Hood," explained, "People are coping, instead of going crazy.

"It's a different time, a new generation," Cole said. "They don't need things to be dangerous like it was for previous generations."

Sgt. Tingirides agrees. "Flip was connected to Death Row Records, to Athens Park, to other hoods," she says. "The [other] hoods were telling the Bounty Hunters, 'Point us in the right direction and we will take care of business.' But community leaders from Nickerson told them they didn't want that anymore."

Up until the early 2000s, the gang wars littered L.A. with bodies. In 1996, Flipside's song "Check Yo Hood" warned, "And now the projects have turned into a war zone. I guess the only rule now, to each his own."

Even after violent crime plummeted in L.A., the projects were still a dangerous world. From January 2002 to August 2011, 69 homicides hit Nickerson Gardens, Jordan Downs and Imperial Courts.

But then, for 22 amazing months, nobody was murdered in the three projects — and then, on June 23 this year, Floyd Videau was shot to death in Imperial Courts. And in August, Damionye Terrelle Fredricks-Hubbard, 23, aka "Roscoe," was killed at Nickerson Gardens. A week later, Capt. Tingirides was walking through Nickerson. There hadn't been any payback shootings.

"There were some hard-core Bounty Hunters standing around," Tingirides recalls. "Guys in their late 20s. I walked by and said, 'I want to tell you, thank you. I appreciate you not jumping back and wasting more lives.' One guy said, 'You're welcome. The right thing to do.' "

"I was flabbergasted. I just said, 'Thanks again,' and walked away. But by me acknowledging they were doing something right, it threw some responsibility on them."

Tingirides credits many, but two men from Nickerson Gardens, "Big Donny" Joubert and "Big Hank" Henderson, stand out.

"We cannot go back to where we were before," says Joubert, 53, a Triple O.G. whom some consider the most respected man in Watts. "We have to stay strong. We are going to have some tragedies down the road, but we have to push for peace. I wish more folks would come aboard this train."

At Flipside's funeral, Joubert urged, "Don't just show up when there's a service. We need you all the time. If you love your community like you say, you need to help. The younger cats love the encouragement."

The night before the funeral, at Flipside's house, Ronald "Lowdown" Watkins, with whom White formed O.F.T.B., was convincing himself and others that retaliation against Grape Street was not an option.

Said Lowdown: "It's past rough. 'Rough' ain't even a word for it. I'm a rapper. I got a lot of words, but I'm at a loss of words when it comes to this shit right here."

But, in fact, he wasn't at a loss: "The cold part about it is, everything that we ever built for our whole life, do I let it go or do I keep going? There's no question about it. Keep going. We got kids. We got homies' kids whose fathers are dead. If we can't find a better way out of this, how can we expect them to? We ain't going back to going stupid. Not on my watch."

"Going stupid" would be driving though Jordan Downs and shooting anyone who resembled a Grape Street Crip.

This once was considered a proper reaction. And a leading contender to do something "stupid" used to be Bam.

That's Michael Herbert, 49, Flip's older brother. Released this year from Corcoran State Prison after serving 17 years on drug charges, he's haunted by Flip's killing yet determined not to strike back. "Now it's like he's my older brother and I need to listen to him and not do anything foolish," he says.

It isn't just hard-core ex-cons who seem to be different. LAPD Senior Lead Officer Robert Yanez says residents offered tips that, two hours after Brider and White were killed on Sept. 23, propelled him, alone in his squad car, to pull over the driver of a Chrysler Town & Country minivan.

Yanez tells the Weekly he saw two other men inside, slumped in their seats — and the sliding door open. Yanez's gun at "low ready" position, he called for backup. Cops arrested three men and found two guns.

One man, Kevin Phillips, 26, identified with the Grape Street Crips, pled not guilty to two counts of murder. One was held on a parole violation and the third was released.

Last week, rapper Lowdown Watkins poured some Hennessy on the ground near where his best friend died. "I'm used to going to every funeral with this nigga," Watkins said. "I'm used to everything that come up, some crisis, some problems, Flip 'n' me going there and dealing with it. But, damn, Flip can't come with me on this one."

Outdoor activity has been minimal at Jordan Downs since the killings on 114th Street. The vibe was akin to your next-door neighbor having done something bad — but you were going to be punished for it.

If they were waiting for a payback killing, for things to get "stupid," it hasn't come. And if Big Donny, Capt. T, Kartoon, Sgt. T and Lowdown have their way, it won't.

Investigation nabs alleged members of south Phoenix drug gang

Email this story Print this story
Wednesday, April 16, 2014
By JAMIE KILLIN
Cronkite News

PHOENIX – Authorities arrested 28 people Wednesday accused of being part of a south Phoenix gang distributing the hallucinogen PCP shipped in from Los Angeles.

About 300 members of law enforcement participated in the culmination of a five-month investigation dubbed Operation Southland, serving 18 search warrants and seizing marijuana, cocaine, weapons, vehicles, prescription pills and $27,000, according to Sgt. Chas Clements of the Phoenix Police Department.

Clements said during a news conference that authorities were looking for about 15 other suspects who were likely affiliated with the gang.

“The people we are arresting are very violent,” he said.

The investigation involved police from multiple cities, the Arizona Department of Public Safety’s Gang Intelligence Immigration Team Enforcement Mission (GITEM) task force and the Maricopa County Attorney’s Office.

It began when Pinal County resident who involved in a separate case reported to authorities purchasing PCP in South Phoenix, authorities said. Officers then discovered that the gang connection to Los Angeles.

According to Sgt. Tommy Thompson, a spokesman for the Phoenix Police Department, said the suspects were likely using the drug sales to fund criminal enterprises.

“In this case we found gang members who were selling drugs and we believe that were involved with violence as well, which is very common with illegal enterprises,” Thompson said.

Bart Graves, a DPS spokesman, said that the investigation will continue to ensure the entire operation is out of business.

“Just because we’re having a news conference to announce this doesn’t mean it’s wrapped up,” he said.

Thompson said Phoenix police will continue working with other law enforcement agencies in the future.

“One of the things that we find very beneficial is the synergistic relationship we have when we work with the state and local authorities,” he said.

The Phoenix Police Department provided the following names of those arrested and charges:

Richard Mitchell, 43: Transportation of narcotic drugs and/or sale, money laundering-concealing proceeds, assisting a street gang, transporting dangerous drugs and/or sale, using a building for drug sales/manufacture
Christopher Malone, 30: Transportation narcotic drugs and/or money laundering-concealing proceeds, assisting a street gang, transporting dangerous drugs and/or sale, using a building for drug sales/manufacture
Rodretta Chambers, 35: Transportation narcotic drugs and/or sale, money laundering-concealing proceeds, assisting a street gang, transporting dangerous drugs and/or sale, using a building for drug sales/manufacture
Troney Monroe, 35: Transportation narcotic drugs and/or dale, money laundering-concealing proceeds, assisting a street gang, using a building for drug sales/manufacture
Shontreil Nash, 35: Transportation narcotic drugs and/or sale, money laundering-concealing proceeds, assisting a street gang, use of an electronic communication device in drug sale
Felipe Luna, 24: Transportation narcotic drugs and/or sale, transportation of marijuana and/or sale, money laundering-concealing proceeds, assisting a street gang, using a building for drug sales/manufacture
Alleyne Oliver, 44: Transportation narcotic drugs, money laundering-concealing proceeds, assisting a street gang, using a building for drug sales/manufacture
Willie Hendrix, 40: Transportation narcotic drugs and/or sale, money laundering-concealing proceeds, assisting a street gang, transporting dangerous drugs and/or sale, using a building for drug sales/manufacture
Byron Finley, 38: Transportation narcotic drugs and/or sale, money laundering-concealing proceeds, assisting a street gang, transporting dangerous drugs and/or sale, using a building for drug sales/manufacture
Jerry Maroney, 58: Transportation narcotic drugs and/or sale, money laundering-owning a business, assisting a street gang, using a building for drug sales/manufacture, misdemeanor warrant
Walter Brooks, 48: Transportation narcotic drugs and/or sale, money laundering-concealing proceeds, assisting a street gang, transporting dangerous drugs and/or sale, using a building for drug sales/manufacture
Glen Hall, 57: Transportation narcotic drugs and/or sale, money laundering-concealing proceeds, assisting a street gang
Denisha Wooten, 30: Possession of dangerous drugs for sale, child endangerment, destruction of evidence
Angela Martinez, 34: Possession of dangerous drugs for sale, possession of dangerous drugs
Willie Dangerfield, 29: Narcotic violation, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of felony warrant, resisting arrest and burglary
Edgar White, 42: Weapons violation-prohibited possessor, possession of marijuana for sale, theft/control of stolen property, transporting dangerous drugs
Rashelle Atkins, 38: Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Jeffrey Suggs, 19: Felony warrant for failure to appear (marijuana charge)
James Stabler, 36: Child support warrant
Gregory McGill, 40: Possession of narcotic drugs (prescription only)
Erin Shepherd, 31: Possession of drug paraphernalia
Riley Ulrich, 31: Misdemeanor warrant

Found this in an intelligence bulletin.
http://www.justice.gov/archive/ndic/pubs8/8180/8180p.pdf

Production, Transportation, and Distribution
The chemicals required to illicitly produce PCP are readily available and inexpensive, and the produc- tion process does not require much knowledge of chemistry or laboratory equipment. Liquid PCP commonly is produced using a technique called the bucket method, in which chemicals are mixed in a bucket or trash can. Although it is a relatively simple method, the chemicals used to produce the drug are toxic and highly flammable. Piperidine, a PCP precursor, commonly is found at laboratory sites. Other chemicals may include bromobenzene, ether, hydrochloric acid, and potassium cyanide. Most PCP contains contaminants from its makeshift manufac- ture, resulting in a color ranging from tan to brown.
Laboratory seizure data and law enforcement reporting indicate that PCP production is limited and controlled predominantly by members of African American gangs, primarily Bloods and Crips, and criminal groups operating in California. DEA El Paso Intelligence Center (EPIC) National Clandestine Laboratory Seizure System (NCLSS) data indicate that of the 22 clandestine laboratories seized in the United States from 2000 through 2003, 18 were located in California. Mexican drug traf- ficking organizations (DTOs) and independent operators also produce PCP in the United States, although to a lesser extent.

Street Gangs Traffic PCP
Street gangs, primarily Bloods and Crips, are involved in the production, transportation, and distribution of PCP in the United States. These gangs, composed primarily of African American males, operate principally in the Los Angeles metropolitan area but are also present in several areas of the country, including the West Central, Pacific, and Southeast regions. Bloods and Crips distribute PCP and other illicit drugs and are in- volved in many other types of criminal activity, including assault, homicide, extortion, and robbery.
Produced primarily for domestic distribution, PCP is transported by package delivery services and in private vehicles, buses, and commercial aircraft to distribution centers including Baltimore, Chicago, Houston, Los Angeles, New York City, New Orleans, and Washington, D.C. Law enforce- ment reporting indicates that PCP produced in southern California is transported in private ve- hicles or by couriers aboard passenger trains to states such as Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Oklahoma, and Pennsyl- vania for retail distribution. In many instances, couriers attempt to conceal the amber-colored PCP in plastic shampoo, sports drink, gasoline, or mouthwash containers and glass whiskey, vinegar, or cleaning solution bottles. PCP is supplied to gang members and independent dealers for retail distribution from private residences and public housing projects. Retail-level distributors typically sell PCP at open-air markets in inner cities, on college campuses, and at raves.

Where I'm from we call it Wet

Wet dust sherm wiggles ..holla cheech want a pepsi

My friend on the East Coast in Philadelphia said that there's a lot of it there and how it's been that way since the 70s.

This article explains some of it but it's nothing "new" as the drug has been around for decades.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/20...eens-crazy.html

I know people who told me how they have used or smoked dust/wet/sherm and how it did not make them violent but they had trouble walking/moving, things were confusing, they felt very very drunk, and in high doses they had or thought they had an out of body experience.

Uh let me see , PCP a drug that has hydrochloric acid and potassium cyanide in it, and that is mixed in a garbage pail out back of the local biker club house by some probates old lady who happens to be a crack head tweaker. Yeah, let me get some of that shit.

http://www.erowid.org/chemicals/pcp/pcp.shtml

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Phencyclidine