USA: 11 Charged in Federal Court With Operating 24-Hour Crack Cocaine ‘Hotline’ on Chicago’s North Side

Nearly a dozen people allegedly ran a telephone “hotline” to take orders and deliver crack cocaine to customers for a street gang throughout a North Side neighborhood for nearly a year.

Federal prosecutors announced drug trafficking charges against 11 people who allegedly worked on behalf of the La Familia Stones street gang to distribute the drugs primarily in Albany Park between 2021 and 2022.

Those defendants have been identified as: Eduart Hoxha, 35, of Chicago, also known as “Finn” and “White Boy,” Alexis Del Toro, 24, of Elmwood Park, also known as “Tony,” Freddy Del Toro, 27, of Elmwood Park, also known as “Fredo” and “Ricky,” Bryan Del Toro, 22, of Elmwood Park, Alex Hernandez, 24, of Chicago, also known as “Joey” and “Biggie,” Hader Garcia, 19, of Chicago, also known as “Luis,” Ruben Valencia, 22, Of Chicago, Karina Jimenez, 35, of Chicago, also known as “Kay Kay” and “Rina,” Kevin Ramirez, 27, of Evanston, Jonas Castillo, 26, of Chicago, also known as “Guero,” and Jesenia Calle, 20, of Chicago, also known as “J-Dog.”

Two of those defendants — Garcia and Alexis Del Toro — have previously been charged in separate murder cases and are being held at the Cook County Jail.

According to federal prosecutors, the group conspired to distribute crack cocaine between December 2021 and November 2022, primarily through the use of a telephone hotline — which operated “at all hours of the day, seven days a week” — that allowed callers to order crack cocaine, which would then be delivered by one of the defendants.

An unsealed indictment alleges the defendants distributed “at least 1,437 grams of cocaine base.” Undercover Chicago police officers and DEA agents made more than 50 purchases of cocaine, heroin and pharmaceutical drugs, according to the indictment.

During their investigation, law enforcement officials seized hundreds of grams of crack cocaine and numerous firearms from various defendants, prosecutors said. Ten of the defendants have been arrested by federal agents or remain in state custody and have begun making their initial appearances in Chicago’s federal court.

One defendant remains at large, and a warrant has been issued for his arrest.

source

https://news.wttw.com/2023/03/10/11-charged-federal-court-operating-24-hour-crack-cocaine-hotline-chicago-s-north-side

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