[FoxNews] Officials in Philadelphia have dismantled a massive drug ring operating out of a sham coffee shop, run largely by longtime, senior figures in the criminal world, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Sunday.
The sweeping takedown, dubbed Operation Cocaine and Coffee, was launched and primarily targeted a storefront known as Cumberland Coffee and Snacks, where authorities say the second floor was used to cook and package crack cocaine for street-level distribution.
At least 17 suspected members of the operation were arrested, many described by officials as well past middle age and deeply entrenched in the drug trade.
Authorities said the group, allegedly run by 56-year-old Lewis Alexander, plagued the community with "absolute harm" for more than a decade and is believed to have ties to violent crime. |