Pubdate: Sat, 18 Jun 2011
Source: Wall Street Journal (US)
Copyright: 2011 Dow Jones & Company, Inc.
Contact:  http://www.wsj.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/487
Author: Sean Gardiner

COCAINE 'KINGPIN' ARRESTED

Police Say Alleged Harlem Dealer Ran Operation In Low-Key, Corporate Style

Law-enforcement officials say they didn't have to look much further
than a picture on Ceferino Perez's nightstand to understand him.

Among the drugs, $500,000 in cash, jewelry, guns, luxury cars and
other booty that investigators said they seized from Mr. Perez and his
tightly run Harlem drug operation was a 6-by-8-inch photo: Al Pacino's
drug lord character Tony Montana from the movie "Scarface"-with Mr.
Perez's face superimposed over the actor's.

"This is his business. This is what he does," New York Police
Department Inspector Lori Pollock, a commanding officer in the
Manhattan North Narcotics unit, said Friday.

But the 44-year-old Mr. Perez allegedly ran his operation-one of the
largest in the city, prosecutors allege-with far more business acumen
than Mr. Pacino's ultra-violent antihero.

Authorities say that "Papo," as Mr. Perez is called, ran a network
responsible for an estimated $1.75 million of cocaine sales a year in
an exceptionally low-key, corporate style.

Mr. Perez was arrested Thursday, and a Manhattan judge entered a plea
of not guilty on his behalf. His lawyer didn't return a call for comment.

According to Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance, Mr. Perez
employed a dozen street-level dealers who worked daily shifts, seven
days a week. The dealers were given cellphones, cars to make
deliveries and business cards under the phony company name "General
Electronics."

In addition to his own alleged street-sale delivery service,
authorities charge that Mr. Perez also operated as a "major supplier"
of cocaine across the city.

Mr. Perez is alleged to have operated a drug empire for the past 25
years, Mr. Vance said, despite the fact that law enforcement was long
aware of its existence.

"He controlled it very tightly, was very suspicious and was able to
prevent law enforcement from making any infiltrations," Mr. Vance
said. The district attorney said Mr. Perez was "so insulated that he
became virtually untouchable."

Mr. Perez's organization sold only between 96th and 108th streets on
First and Second avenues, Narcotics Detective Jeffrey Carroll said.
"He would say, "If you get too big, that's how you get caught.' He
would coach people on the phone about getting too greedy."

Investigators said they began infiltrating the group about 15 months
ago by targeting disgruntled members and customers in trouble with the
law. They were then able to obtain wiretap warrants.

Mr. Perez was charged along with 21 alleged members of his crew on
drug conspiracy and other charges.

Mr. Perez was also charged with a "drug kingpin" statue that carries a
sentence of life without parole if he is convicted.

The arrests were part of what New York City Police Commissioner
Raymond Kelly said has been "a very bad week for drug dealers and gang
members in New York City," during which 140 alleged drug dealers and
gang members were arrested in four long-term investigations.
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