Sham Philadelphia coffee shop hiding crack operation busted in sweeping raid, 17 arrested: AG

Officials successful Philadelphia person dismantled a monolithic cause ringing operating retired of a sham java shop, tally mostly by longtime, elder figures successful the transgression world, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced Sunday. 

The sweeping takedown, dubbed "Operation Cocaine and Coffee," was launched  and chiefly targeted a storefront known arsenic Cumberland Coffee and Snacks, wherever authorities accidental the 2nd level was utilized to navigator and bundle ace cocaine for street-level distribution.

At slightest 17 suspected members of the cognition were arrested, galore described by officials arsenic good past mediate property and profoundly entrenched successful the cause trade.

Authorities said the group, allegedly tally by 56-year-old Lewis Alexander, plagued the assemblage with "absolute harm" for much than a decennary and is believed to person ties to convulsive crime.

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At slightest 17 radical were arrested successful "Operation Cocaine and Coffee." (PA Office of Attorney General)

"Well, today, North Philadelphia's, the Lewis Alexander cause trafficking organization, they person a caller turf and it's wrong a correctional facility," Sunday said. 

"Some of the defendants present are successful their 50s, 60s and 70s," helium added. "Many of these defendants person been astatine this a precise agelong time. They were menaces to society, to radical and families who conscionable privation to unrecorded escaped without interest of unit and transgression successful their mundane life."

While the raid centered successful North Philadelphia, the operation’s scope reportedly extended good beyond the java shop, with officials serving warrants astatine astir 30 locations crossed Philadelphia, Delaware County and New Jersey.

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"Operation Cocaine and Coffee" targeted a sham java store called Cumberland Coffee and Snacks. (PA Office of Attorney General)

Prosecutors described the enactment arsenic a persistent blight connected the neighborhood, with a adjacent barroom and barbershop besides swept up successful the probe arsenic authorities worked to dismantle the network.

"The transgression enactment has remained similar weeds arsenic families and homeowners person moved successful and retired of residences successful the area," Sunday said. 

The takedown resulted successful 17 arrests and the seizure of 27 firearms, astir 4 pounds of cocaine, much than 130 pounds of marijuana, arsenic good arsenic fentanyl, ecstasy and cash, according to officials.

Attorney General Dave Sunday and instrumentality enforcement partners announced the palmy takedown of a notorious Philadelphia cause trafficking ringing Wednesday. (PA Attorney General Dave Sunday/YouTube)

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The defendants look a scope of felony charges, including moving a corrupt organization, cause trafficking and amerciable firearm possession.

Alexander is presently incarcerated connected $750,000 bail.