PORTSMOUTH CRACKDOWN TARGETING DRUG DEALERS

PORTSMOUTH -- A yearlong law enforcement effort to remove drug dealers from
some of the city's most infested neighborhoods led to 123 indictments and
the dismantling of five major drug organizations, officials announced
Tuesday.

But more importantly, they said, the crackdown is not ending there.

In a packed room of the Vision Centre in the Brighton neighborhood,
officials announced an extensive community-law enforcement initiative to
tackle the drug problem, from the sellers to the buyers.

``The story we have to tell is both a look back and a look ahead,'' said
U.S. Attorney Paul J. McNulty, who led Tuesday's news conference.

The effort began last year when federal authorities formed a Regional
Enforcement Team of agents with the Drug Enforcement Administration, the
FBI, Portsmouth police and other agencies. Within a month, five drug
organizations were identified and an undercover plan was formed to take them
down.

The organizations operated mainly in the Prentis Park, Prentis Place and
Brighton neighborhoods, but also in nearby public housing complexes and even
in a local funeral home, McNulty said. The leaders of those groups have been
arrested and are in jail awaiting trial or are serving lengthy federal
prison terms, he said.

McNulty identified them as: Keith ``K.B.'' Bullock; Terrance ``Ted'' Reid;
Gary ``G'' Albury; Karl Moore Sr.; James Riddick; and his partner, Alton Lee
Johnson.

Bullock ran his cocaine operation from his family's funeral home business on
Turnpike Road, and his group made more than $3.4 million in profits, the
U.S. Attorney's Office said. Bullock pleaded guilty in federal court and is
serving a 17-year prison term.

Reid was known for selling high-quality heroin, called ``Ted's Dope,''
McNulty said. His group made more than $4 million in profits since 1998, and
Reid spent lavishly on cars, motorcycles and jewelry, he said. Reid pleaded
guilty and will be sentenced June 3.

Albury also was known for his potent heroin, dubbed ``The Predator,'' and
moved as many as 2,000 capsules a day, according to court records. Albury
pleaded guilty and is scheduled to be sentenced today.

Karl Moore Sr. is accused of running a crack and heroin enterprise from his
home in Chesapeake, but authorities said he was a main supplier of street
dealers in Prentis Park. His trial is scheduled for May 14.

James Riddick and Alton Lee Johnson ran the ``Five Dollar Boys,'' known for
selling cut-rate heroin at $5 a capsule instead of the usual $10, according
to court records. Riddick pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 30 years in
prison. Johnson was arrested earlier this month in Raleigh, N.C., and has a
court appearance scheduled for today.

In all, officials said on Tuesday, 71 people were indicted on federal
charges. Of those, all but 14 have been convicted. Thirteen are awaiting
trial, and one suspect remains at large. Another 52 people have been
arrested and convicted on state charges.

Residents and business owners have said they are skeptical of the
law-enforcement effort because they continue to see drug dealers on the
streets.

McNulty and other officials said this was step one of the effort. They plan
to continue investigating street dealers and suppliers. But they also are
developing a plan to arrest buyers who, McNulty noted, come to Portsmouth
from all over the region.

McNulty also said Portsmouth is a finalist for $1 million in federal ``Weed
and Seed'' money. The program ``weeds'' a neighborhood of criminals, and
then ``seeds'' by bringing in prevention, treatment and revitalization
programs.

Portsmouth also is one of three cities in the country involved in a
DEA-sponsored program called Integrated Drug Enforcement Assistance. The
program brings together neighborhood and church groups, agencies and
nonprofits to continue work on a drug prevention plan. A meeting is
scheduled for Tuesday from 6 to 9 p.m. at I.C. Norcom High School to
continue the planning phase of the program.