United States Drug Enforcement Administration

NEWARK, N.J. - Brian R. Crowell, the Special Agent in Charge of the New Jersey Division of the Drug Enforcement (DEA) and Paul J. Fishman, the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, announced federal charges were unsealed today against 15 alleged members of a drug trafficking organization that refer to themselves as the “Detroit Boyz,” a group responsible for distributing heroin, powder cocaine, crack cocaine and marijuana in the Trenton, N.J., and Morrisville, Pa., metropolitan area.

The Complaint charges Carl Barnett, a/k/a “Pizzo,”a/k/a “Marc Hill,” a/k/a “Marcale Hill,” a/k/a “Mark Hill,” 29, of Morrisville, Pa.; Carl Barnett’s half brother Darwin Reaves, a/k/a “Detroit,” a/k/a “D,” a/k/a “Old School,” 39, of Levittown, Pa.; Terrence Smith, a/k/a “Supreme,” 31, of Trenton; Carl Barnett’s half brother, Carlsen Barnett, a/k/a “Bam,” 27, of Trenton; Chartoine Oglesby, a/k/a “Bs,” 32; of Morrisville; Calvin Murrell, a/k/a “Hustle,” 31, of Morrisville; Thaddeus Rayshawn McNair, a/k/a “Frag,” 34, of Trenton; Trachele Johnson, a/k/a “Stackz,” 20, of Trenton; Kasheef McCalla, a/k/a “Sheef,” 26, of Trenton; Trachele Johnson’s brother, Maurice Johnson, a/k/a “Big,” 25, of Trenton; Todd Little, 32, of Philadelphia; Edward Burch, 31, of Trenton; Frankie Taylor, 23, of Morrisville; Jahmari Ricky Alvaranga, a/k/a/ “Ricky,” 26, of Trenton; and two unnamed individuals: FNU LNU, a/k/a “Buddha” and FNU LNU, a/k/a “Kev.” Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances.

Ten of the defendants - Carl Barnett, McNair, Carlsen Barnett, McCalla, Murrell, Burch, Oglesby, Smith, Alvaranga and Little - were arrested on Friday, June 10, 2011, as part of a coordinated operation undertaken by local, state and federal law enforcement authorities in New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Maurice Johnson was arrested on June 1, 2011, by the Trenton Police Department on unrelated charges and remains in state custody pending his transfer to face the federal charge. The other four defendants remain at large.

The defendants arrested Friday appeared this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court and consented to detention pending bail hearings, scheduled for Wednesday, June 15, 2011, for Oglesby and Thursday, June 16, 2011, for the other nine defendants.

According to the Complaint unsealed today:

From March 2010 through June 10, 2011, the defendants engaged in a drug distribution conspiracy to profit from the distribution of controlled substances - chiefly heroin, cocaine and cocaine base - in the Trenton and Morrisville area. Through the authorized interception of the co-conspirators’ cell phone calls, the use of confidential sources of information, and other means, law enforcement learned that Carl Barnett was the leader of the organization, members of which refer to themselves as the “Detroit Boyz.” Carl Barnett, a rap artist who goes by the name “Supa Sport,” coordinates the acquisition of the drugs, the processing of cocaine into crack, the packaging of the heroin, the resale of the narcotics, and manages his workers and the proceeds from drug sales. Carl Barnett and other members of the Detroit Boyz occasionally travel to Georgia in order to obtain cocaine to distribute in the Trenton area.

The Detroit Boyz operate an auto body shop in Morrisville, Motor City Car Club, which is used as a location for co-conspirators to meet and serve narcotics customers in exchange for payment. The shop is also used to install concealed compartments in cars.

Calls intercepted by law enforcement demonstrate the Detroit Boyz’ efforts to obtain, prepare, package, and distribute heroin, powder and crack cocaine and include conversations about drug quality, consumer satisfaction, pricing and the nature of the business.

The count with which each of the defendants are charged carries a minimum potential penalty of five years in prison, and a maximum of 40 years in prison and a $5 million fine. U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Camden Resident Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Brian R. Crowell, and IRS - Criminal Investigation, under the direction of Victor W. Lessoff; law enforcement officers from the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Joseph L. Bocchini Jr.; the Bucks County, Pa. District Attorney’s Office, under the direction of David Heckler; the New Jersey State Police, under the director of Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent; and the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office, under the direction of Linda L. Kelly, for the investigation of the case. Also instrumental were the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office and the following police departments: in New Jersey - Trenton, Hamilton, West Windsor, Hopewell Township, Ewing Township, Robbinsville; in Pennsylvania - Morrisville, Lower Southampton, Warminster, Bensalem, Plumstead, Lower Makefield and Falls Township.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jennifer Davenport and R. Joseph Gribko of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

The charges and allegations contained in the Complaint are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.