IN NEW YORK, COCAINE WAS JUST A PHONE CALL AWAY, DEA CHARGES

NEW YORK -- New York City residents can get everything from
dry-cleaning to groceries to Chinese food delivered to their homes. An
indictment on Tuesday charged 10 people with running an operation that
delivered cocaine to people's doors.

The indictment, filed in Manhattan federal court, alleged the
defendants were members of the Home Delivery Cocaine Organization who
arranged for drugs to be delivered to customers in the advertising,
real estate, investment and legal fields.

According to the charges, customers typically ordered personal-use
quantities of cocaine by paging one of the organization's electronic
paging devices and entering a call-back number.

A member of the organization then returned the page, often using
cellular telephones that were subscribed to in false names. The
indictment said two cellular phones were being monitored by the Drug
Enforcement Administration.

Customers ordered the cocaine much as they would a cup of coffee, in
small, medium and large sizes. The minimum quantity was a half-gram
for $25; the middle size was 1 gram for $50; 3 grams cost $150.

The Home Delivery Cocaine Organization allegedly sent a delivery
person, posing as a livery cab driver, to bring the drugs to the
customer. In July two undercover DEA agents posed as customers, the
indictment alleged.

Members of the organization kept records containing hundreds of
customers' names and addresses, many of which were in residential
neighborhoods popular with young, successful professionals, the
indictment charged.

If convicted, each defendant faces a minimum of 10 years and a maximum
of life in prison.