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OGDENSBURG City police on Tuesday charged three more people for allegedly selling drugs in the city, this time crack cocaine, heroin and ecstasy.
The Ogdensburg Police Departments Narcotics Enforcement Unit and St. Lawrence County Drug Task Force executed a search warrant at 322 King St. at about 2:30 a.m. Tuesday and charged Fernando D. Johnson, alias Free, 36, of 1200 W. Colvin St., Syracuse, Jessica L. Thomas, 29, of 322 King St., Apt. 1, and Eric L. Peets, 26, of the same address. Mr. Johnson was charged with two counts of third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Mr. Peets and Ms. Thomas were each charged with first-degree criminal nuisance and seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance.
Police said the criminal nuisance charge was for Mr. Peets and Ms. Thomas allegedly renting a residence for the purpose of dealing drugs.
In a news release, Det. Daniel F. Mousaw alleged Mr. Peets and Ms. Thomas had gone to Syracuse to recruit Mr. Johnson to sell drugs in Ogdensburg.
Sadly, this is an all-too-common theme for our city, and largely to blame for the onslaught of out-of-town dealers making their way into our community, Mr. Mousaw said in the release.
He said locals are recruiting street-level dealers from metropolitan communities, giving them a place to live, and providing them with transportation and a means to sell drugs.
Mr. Mousaw said the alleged drug trafficking operation was shut down before it could gain a foothold in the community.
All three as of Tuesday afternoon were being held at the city police station awaiting arraignment in city court.