Posted to Crime on

Six Arrested After Police Execute Search Warrant

A notorious Lefferts Avenue drug den was raided by the NYPD on Thursday night and a large stash of drugs was found. Five people were taken into custody while a sixth managed to escape and police mounted a massive search.

Officers with a narcotics unit of the NYPD arrived at 704 Lefferts Avenue, a notorious and well known location on the block, and executed a search warrant.

Six people were present, five of whom were taken into custody without incident, a sixth man fled.

While searching the premises officers found a large cache of illegal narcotics, including cocaine, crystal meth and marijuana. Police sources said that a search of the house is still ongoing.

Meanwhile, police received a tip that the sixth suspect who fled earlier was spotted on roof of a house around the corner on East New York Avenue. A helicopter was called in to assist in the search and after some 30 minutes the suspect was located and taken into custody.

Police sources told CrownHeights.info that he was the main target of the investigation. In the past he was arrested in connection with an incident at Aliyah Institute where police discovered a number of firearms along with a large quantity of drugs.

Neighbors reacted to the raid with joy, many saying “finally!” after many had complained of the happenings at the house. “It is such a shame to see Jewish kids arrested, but this was a bad house and it brought many bad people to the area” said one resident at the scene.

Of those arrested, four were Jewish men and two were non-Jewish women.

This is a developing story and will be updated as more information is made available.

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65 Comments

  • Finaly

    #nopidyanshvuyim they are all rodfim selling drugs to kids and making the community unsafe if you pay they’re bail you have a chelek in they’re garbage.

  • about time

    the house is owned by katzoff who lives across the street

    i dont know what (if anything) he was trying to do in order to resolve this ongiong issue

  • mendel from crown street

    I am sorry to see my fellow jews arrested, but in this case they were openly using and selling drugs in and around this ‘crooked house’ , and everyone in the neighborhood knew about it and wanted it stopped.

    if someone wants to do drugs privately behind closed doors, although its probably not the smartest thing to do, who am I to judge. But in this case they were so arrogantly doing it publicly. It was just a matter of time until the police busted them.

    I hope it serves as a wake up call to them. I hope they learn their lesson and change their lives around for the better.

  • varney dagal

    oh… the lefferts crack house…. I wonder what took the cops so long to bust it.

  • Resident

    Dont think its over so fast. My neighbors also has drug addicts in the basement. There is no peace all night. I see teenasgers that I know coming there. I have begged and pleaded to the landlord to please bring some nice american bachurim or frum semianry girls instead of mechalel shabbos drug addicts but greed wins.

    • CHLEAKS.COM

      Like will all our big “Askunim” who own real estate for rent, who rent out to others and not to our own.

      There is only one landlord who builds for Yidden and these very same “holy Askunim” tried to lynch him with lawsuit after lawsuit.

      These “holy Askunim” would and still do scream, “l’man Hashchuna”, “Rebbe this and Rebbe that”, bla bla bla.

      More to come.

      Hint: Whats going on with בית מנחם נחום?
      440 Crown Street

    • carroll

      carroll streer basement is a sad case. sadly theres lots of little pockets around town. where are our youth leaders. we need to suppurt moshe feiglin. he helps take care of these kids.

  • Shmuel Fulman

    I saw the aftermath of this raid and all the jewish and african american neighbors were both clapping and cheering for the police who finally shut down a dangerous drug house.

    • yishai chaim

      the article says the address was 704 lefferts… if you ever walked past this house and looked at it then it would be obvious what was going on in there. all sorts of lowlifes coming and going at all hours of the day and night and open drug use in front of the house and certain community vagrants always hanging out there

    • moshe emes

      what exactly do you refer to Mil? perspective about drugs? perspective about a crack den in our neighborhood that we couldnt stop for a long time and needed the help of the police to shut it down?

    • K

      There is no difference between drug dealers and those who peddle “light Judaism”. Both corrupt the weak and vulnerable youth. One robs the victim of his body while the other robs his soul. Either way, the victim is destroyed. Both destroy the values of a Torah community. The damage caused by either is difficult to undo and leaver permanent scars. Yet, we go up in arms against drug dealers while turning a blind eye to those who corrupt within the community by spreading views with directly negate halacha.

  • Resident

    Rumor has it there is some in the dormitories, I hope that one isnt true. Nowhere is safe.

    How do we teach our kids to say no to these things?

    • Slogans don't work

      Research shows the ‘Just Say No’ program did not reduce drug use. The opposite happened during that campaign.

      I wish I could tell you what does work.

    • The real chabadnik

      What works is educating your kids about drugs and telling them that they have a choice and that and showing them why should make the right one.

  • in the know

    You guys are all making a big deal out of this nobody was killed or abused. No jew should be in jail these kids need help and we should give it to them. What if it was your brother would you write the same comment? Or would u try to help them.

    • mordy

      they didnt want help. many of us tried to help them but they refused. now the police and courts will force them to get help in a drug rehab or go to jail. hopefully this time they choose the drug rehab instead of jail.

    • Anonymous

      There have been almost a dozen deaths of young people in crown heights, where drugs were a factor. Those who supply drugs to our children have a din of rodef and must be reported to the police.

    • S.R.

      I have rachmunis on those who were born with disabilities they cannot control and I don’t have rachmunis on those who make poor decisions and commit crimes.

  • ymg

    May H help us all to have purpose and vision so that we all stay on track and keep our children in good faith and love so that they never go astray. And may these lost souls of that house find themselves and find order and righteousness.

  • is it true

    is it true that tied sneakers on a wire mean drugs on the block? theres another drug hole on carroll st

  • Shmuel V.

    well, its a sad day for the kids who were arrested but a great day for the rest of the community who can now walk safely on this block without having to see drug abusing fools.

    a big thank you to the police for doing a great job safely and without any violence.

  • Hip hip hooray

    We should all go to the 71st precinct to say thank you to the cops. Very often we disagree with the cops and complain, but in situations like this when the cops did a good job making our community safer we need to let them know we appreciate it.

  • Chaya

    Getting arrested was the best thing that happened to those drug dealers as well as the community. They weren’t able to get quit drugs on their own – now they will be forced to become sober with professional help while in jail, and have a new and positive chance at life when they’re out. A friend of mine was once busted for drug dealing and was sent to prison for a year an a half – – upon being released, he looked back with new sober and appreciative eyes, and felt thankful that it happened to him. He was given a new and drug free responsible lease on life. If these guys weren’t arrested, who’s to know that they wouldn’t have OD’d in the next couple of years. BH – that drug house was shut down, and our youth are a little bit safer from falling into the strong and mighty trap of drug addiction.

    • Shimon Shak

      There are just as many drugs in jail as out here. They are just a tad more expensive. The premise that jail takes people off drugs is false.

  • where's NCJFE?

    From its website: “Drug addiction is a complex but treatable sickness. It is characterized by compulsive craving, seeking, and use of controlled substances that persists even in the face of terrible consequences. Counseling and cognitive therapies are critical components of virtually all effective treatments for addiction.”

  • Saddest part is the customers

    Its painful to think that crystal meth has made its way into Crown Heights. The fact is there are customers (read someones child) buying this stuff. Addiction services need to be more readily and eadily available for ANY person who needs it, and education should be provided to all community youth.

  • Rodfim

    A rodef is one who pursues another to kill him. People who push drugs are not far off from that category. Halachically, a rodef is allowed to be killed by anyone who warns the rodef to stop and witnesses him continuing to pursue. Since we don’t take these matters into our hands in this country in this day and age, at the very least it is halachically correct that they should be arrested. They must be off the streets and out of reach of our youth. And if, sitting in jail, they hit what is known as “rock bottom” and that propels them to change their ways, even better.

  • This is all over the community with men involved too.

    Maybe this will be an eye opener to whats going on in our community at large. Many people men who put up a chasidish front with the garb and all are smoking up plenty of the stuff. wake up and smell the coffee!!
    its time that this be confronted in our community!!

  • B4ujudge

    It should be made clear that this was an on going investigation aimed bringing in a dangerous criminal who laughs and taunts all laws all government all ratinal. who hid within the community for a long time knowing he would be better protected by its kindnrss and pracyices. A person who justified his actions behind his own twisted mockery and interpretation of hashems word and the teachings of the rebbe combine with secular philosophy . The children will be released and slapped on the wrist probably pressured to testify or at least share Intel on this sixth individual. They will hopefully be sentence to rehab all and all a blessing and a wke up call for them. This sixth man however will and should have his day in court.

  • ch resident

    can u post the names of the jewish ones that were arrested. Instead of wasting time writing comments and giving our input lets do something for there neshamas and say some tehillim for them

  • Sakana

    I have rachmonis when Jews go astray especially unzere. But when they put an entire community in physical danger there is no rachmonis. (I don’t live in crown heights). Growing a meth lab that interferes with one gas wire can blow up half of crown heights killing people.
    Hopefully jail can rehabilitate them

  • Concerned

    If mr. broin and rabbi. Schwei would stop acting like BS
    maybe things would
    be better

  • Lefferts neighbor

    I am so glad this is over. It should have happened much sooner. Now it’s safe for my kids to play outside again.

  • anonymmous

    what if drugs aren’t so bad? what if this hateful and spiteful community of hypocrites is whats making our youth turn to these alternative forms of medicine? what is there was more chesed coming out of that house than most of this neighborhood?

    • Miriam Rellason

      You are an idiot. The only chesed was done by the cops to make our community safer.

  • Safe foundation

    If you, your husband, wife or child need an out patient rehab …for drugs or alcohol..Google the safe foundation…they also do drug prevention education for schools but alas our C.H. schools that were approached declined the free offer because it would be admitting an issue and possibly introducing the subject to people who otherwise B’H would never encounter it

  • To#53

    I felt that way too once #53, truth is since I got help and stopped using I find there to be a lot of love in the neighborhood, though of course no one/no institution is perfect, there’s still a lot of love, goodness and kindness in C.H. and many people are attracted to Lubavitch because of that love….get some help, there’s a beautiful world beyond drugs and alcohol and I for one am praying for you to find it and join us in caring for Hashems beautiful garden and His creations

  • Yehuda

    Bush came out and said, “We are losing the war against drugs.” You know what that implies? There’s a war being fought, and the people on drugs are winning it.
    —Bill Hicks

  • Yehuda

    The War on Drugs is a misbegotten attempt to “purify” all of our precious bodily fluids American youth (and adults) by putting anyone caught with any quantity of illegal drugs in jail for a long time.

    One of its armaments is setting mandatory sentences for “crack” cocaine possession at roughly 18 times the length of sentences for possession of “powder” cocaine. This is because crack is popular in the poorer neighborhoods and is more addictive, while the powder version is popular in suburbs and corporate boardrooms, and one cannot have those sorts of people sharing prisons with the great unwashed, lest the horrors of one’s prison system become known to anyone who is capable of making serious noise about it.

    The result has been that the United States now has a higher percentage of its population in jail than any other country ever has. Seriously. More than Nazi Germany. More than Soviet Russia. More than North Korea. It just doesn’t make any sense.

  • All talk

    Those who comment that we should help the druggies are all talk and no action.

    1- why didn’t those commenters help them?
    2- if those commenters tried to help them, it obviously didn’t work.

    You know what will work. Nothing. Nobody can help them. Only they can help themselves and when they grow up and are serious about fixing their lives there are many free resources available to help them.

    But until then, we need them off our streets so they don’t infect other kids.

    Thank you to the police for cleaning up our neighborhood and making it a better place.

  • sad

    maybe chabad will learn a lesson about this not to be racist and think that just because someone is born jewish that makes them good – why is it “sad to see Jewish boys arrested”? It is much sadder that these rodfim are trying to poison and trap real Jews from a Torah’dige community into their web of drugs. It doesn’t matter if someone is born Jewish or not, what matters is the content of our character. When the Tanya talks about a Jewish neshamah etc it is in the context of the Kisvei Arizal who says the neshamah only comes through avodah, it isn’t something inherent. No need to defend criminals just because they happen to have been born to Jewish mothers, especially if they are trying to destroy the lives of others through their crimes.

    • Thank you!

      Finally someone talking sense. The religionism is a disease. There is no shame in seeing bad people get what they deserve. Period. It’s not sad that Jewish boys finally get a lesson in real life, and maybe they’ll reform, maybe not, but they get a good petch, and that’s enough for now.