OPERATION BUSTS CRACK-COCAINE RING, ARRESTS 38, OFFICIALS SAY

What officials are calling one of the largest crack-cocaine rings in
Palm Beach County was busted Monday morning with 38 arrests on
federal drug charges -- including the arrest of two violent
ringleaders on conspiracy charges, according to the indictments.

The U.S. Attorney's Office named the kingpins as two career
criminals: [Name redacted], 32, of Jupiter, also known as Big Dred
and Fatboy, and [Name redacted], 41, of Boynton Beach, also known as Pep.

In 1988, six Delray Beach police officers testified that [Name
redacted] had threatened to kill them and their families. After [Name
redacted]s' friends and relatives screamed and spit at the officers
in court, deputies escorted the unarmed police officers to their cars.

In two federal indictments, those arrested include two others with
the last name of [Name redacted], two women and others with nicknames
like Midnight, Mo, Big Nick, Flaco, Rocco and Tanker.

Two were former high school football players in Palm Beach County.

Monday's pre-dawn bust was so large, it included 450 law enforcement
officers from the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Palm Beach
County Sheriff's Office and police officers from Boynton Beach,
Delray Beach and Jupiter. There were so many officers, they used
Roger Dean Stadium as a staging area.

They called it Operation Magnum Force.

"We believe that today's arrests will significantly reduce violence
in our community by dismantling this notorious drug operation from
top to bottom," said Palm Beach County Sheriff Ric Bradshaw in a news
release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

For all the arrests, all that was seized is a little more than half a
pound of crack cocaine, a kilogram of cocaine powder, $30,000 in cash
and one gun, the U.S. Attorney's Office said. But 17 were charged
with conspiracy relating to the drug operation, which could result in
more lengthy federal prison sentences. Another 11 were charged with
possessing large amounts of cocaine with intent to distribute,
according to the indictments.

All of the participating police agencies referred questions about the
case to the U.S. Attorney's Office, which provided a statement to the
media and copies of the indictment, but did not return calls for comment.

"Today we have eliminated the flow of hundreds of thousands of
dollars worth of illicit drugs into our community and dismantled a
violent drug organization ...," DEA Special Agent in Charge Mark
Trouville said in the statement.

Two of those arrested went from being high school football standouts
to street drug dealers, records show.

[Name redacted], who was a senior at Spanish River High School in
1996, was selected to play in the Outback Steakhouse Football
All-Star Game that year.

[Name redacted] was on the offensive line for Olympic Heights High in 1995.

The criminal history of many of those indicted tell a history of
violence and arrests.

One of the men arrested, [Name redacted], 26, was jailed on May 15 in
Martin County after authorities there said he tried to sell 2.5
ounces of cocaine to an undercover officer.

[Name redacted], considered a ringleader, has been arrested 27 times,
according to Florida Department of Law Enforcement records. He was
charged with several violent crimes, including trying to kill someone
when he was 18 by shooting a 17-year-old in the abdomen, according to
police records. [Name redacted]'s tattoos include the word
"Heartless" on his abdomen, along with the image of a casket and the
message "Bury Me a G" on his right arm.

[Name redacted]' record includes 30 arrests on charges such as
burglary, battery, drug sales and attempted murder.

The defendants are in custody and will go before federal judges this week.