Drug bust brings relief at day care

Employees at Planet Kids Child Care in east Spokane said it’s been easy most days to look through the windows and watch drug dealing in a nearby parking lot and on adjoining streets.

Cars would pull up, the occupants would exchange something and then disappear.

So, employees at the day care weren’t too surprised Wednesday when plainclothes police officers – guns drawn – pulled three suspected drug dealers out of parked cars near the child-care facility.

The three were among 18 suspected gang members or affiliates arrested so far as part of “Operation Rock Pile,” an investigation targeting crack cocaine dealers, authorities said Thursday.

While making the arrests, the Spokane Regional Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force served six search warrants at homes throughout Spokane.

DEA officers seized eight handguns, an estimated $25,000 in cash, 1 kilogram of powder cocaine and another kilo of crack, said task force chief Selby Smith. The drugs have a combined wholesale value of at least $40,000.

Federal authorities believe many of the suspected gang members traveled or moved to Spokane because crack cocaine brings much higher prices here than in the Los Angeles area where many of the accused drug dealers may be from. Authorities haven’t said if those charged include drug buyers.

It may be the largest number of suspected gang members ever arrested at one time in Spokane on drug-related charges, said officials.

That was good news Thursday to Shanet Abeyta and other day-care workers at Planet Kids, 1509 N. Fiske, two blocks west of Spokane Community College.

Employees said for weeks they’ve watched cars drive up outside the day care, followed by what they suspected to be drug activity. People in another nearby business also said they’ve seen similar suspicious activity.

“A couple of our teachers even called it before it went down yesterday,” Abeyta said of the arrests.

Christina Picanso, who owns the day care, said the business went into lockdown during the 45 minutes it took for the arrests near an adjoining hair salon, the Mane Attraction.

Picanso and Abeyta said they hope the arrests will end the drug dealing in their neighborhood.

“For Spokane, this was a large organization,” U.S. Attorney Jim McDevitt said at a press conference Thursday where authorities briefly detailed the scope of the case, without providing details.

“I think it’s a significant dent,” said McDevitt, the region’s senior federal law enforcement officer.

Spokane County Sheriff Mark Sterk said he believes the arrests “are going to send a huge message to gang members thinking about coming to Spokane to sell drugs.”

The powder cocaine that was seized can be snorted or cooked down to a solid state. Crack cocaine, or “rock,” as it’s called on the street, is generally smoked.

Rodney G. Benson, of Seattle, the DEA’s regional special agent in charge, said the kilogram of crack cocaine – equal to 2.2 pounds – was of high purity, enhancing its value.

Thirteen of the suspects face federal drug charges and five others are charged in state court.

Without elaborating, Smith said the suspects and their activity are “gang related.”

“We are attacking and target those individuals for drug dealing,” the DEA task force supervisor said. “Selling drugs on the streets of Spokane is something they do on a daily basis. We made over 40 undercover purchases.”

The undercover drug buys led authorities to obtain federal grand jury indictments that were used for the series of arrests that began early Wednesday.

The investigation was begun in June by members of the task force. Its officers come from the DEA, the Spokane County Sheriff’s Office, the Spokane Police Department, the Washington State Patrol and the federal office of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).

Arrested on federal drug charges were: Kejuan Morgan, 29; Dynisha Sleep, 27; Deandre Gaither, 25; Anthony Johnson, 32; Shannon Weaver, 28; Quevency Mason, 28, and Zachary Rogerson, 22.

Also arrested on federal drug charges were: Jodi Bullinger, 22; Jason Smith, 31; Kerwin Hawkins, 33; Lisa Giacomino, 34; Jerome Williams, 24; and Chaunci Jacques, 27.

Arrested on state drug charges were: Lawonga Woodside, 30; Dejuan Nelms, 27; Gerald Ashby, 28; Lacy Crittenden, 22, and a 17-year-old boy.