3 men arrested, 22 guns and drugs seized in North Philly operation
The arrests revealed that firearms being reported as stolen in other parts of the state were being brought to Philadelphia and sold for heroin and other drugs, prosecutors said.
Authorities last month arrested three men and seized 22 illegal guns, heroin and other drugs during a three-day takedown of a drug-dealing ring that authorities called the 2900 Waterloo Street Gang, the state Attorney General's Office announced Wednesday.
As part of the joint operation, Philadelphia narcotics officers, the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the AG's Gun Violence Task Force searched three homes and an automobile in North Philadelphia from June 28 to 30. The area, near Front Street and Indiana Avenue in Fairhill, is plagued by open-air heroin dealing, shootings and other crimes, the AG's Office said.
The arrests revealed that firearms being reported as stolen in other parts of the state were being brought to Philadelphia and sold for heroin and other drugs, prosecutors said.
Arrested were German Rosado, 54, of the 2800 block of North Fourth Street; Joseph Rodriguez, 19, of the 2900 block of North Waterloo Street; and Joseph DeJesus, 23, of the 3400 block of North Hope Street, all in North Philadelphia.
Rosado and DeJesus were charged with possession of drugs with intent to deliver and gun charges. Rodriguez was charged with possession of drugs with intent to deliver, related narcotics charges, and 12 counts of possessing an instrument of crime, the AG's Office said. Police seized various amounts of heroin, crack, prescription drugs and other narcotics as well.
Guns seized from the homes and automobile were a loaded Colt .45 pistol with an obliterated serial number, eight 9mm Glock and Ruger handguns, six other handguns, and seven shotguns and rifles, authorities said. Five of the guns were previously reported as stolen.
"There is much more work that needs to be done, but cooperation is the best way we can make an impact in the communities hardest hit by the scourge of gun violence," Attorney General Josh Shapiro said in a statement.
The cases will be prosecuted by the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office. Since its 2006 inception, the Attorney General's Gun Violence Task Force has taken more than 2,300 guns off the street and arrested more than 1,400 people with a conviction rate of about 78 percent, the AG's Office said.