New indictment filed against suspected Kensington drug kingpin

Federal authorities have filed a new indictment against Alex "Reds" Rivera, a suspected North Philadelphia drug kingpin jailed last year on heroin- and cocaine-distribution charges.

The stocky, bearded, 28-year-old is accused of controlling drug sales in and around North Lawrence Street and West Indiana Avenue in Kensington and of using violence, threats, and intimidation to discourage rival dealers and solidify his hold on the market.

The new indictment comes a month after one of Rivera's top associates, Daniel Cortez, 28, pleaded guilty to drug trafficking charges in the case.

At his change of plea hearing last month, Cortez was described as a "manager and supervisor" for the organization who supplied several of the street-level dealers who worked for Rivera.

Cortez and three other defendants named in the original indictment handed up in November have pleaded guilty. Assistant U.S. Attorney David Axelrod, one of the prosecutors in the case, declined to comment Tuesday when asked if Cortez and the others were cooperating with authorities.

Rivera has been described by authorities as the "violent leader of a large-scale drug-trafficking organization" that sold cocaine and heroin.

During a series of raids in September, authorities confiscated $20,000 in cash, small quantities of crack cocaine, powder cocaine, and heroin, and several weapons.

One of the locations raided by the FBI was a garage/stable where authorities alleged Rivera kept roosters that they believed were used for cock fighting. The stable also served as a stash house for drugs, they charged.

An attorney for Rivera at the time said he kept several animals, including horses, goats and chickens, as a "petting zoo" for neighborhood children.

Rivera has nine prior arrests and three convictions, according to his criminal record. The cases involved drug dealing and weapons offenses.

The new indictment adds four additional defendants to the case, which is tentatively set for trial in July. The new defendants and the expansion of the indictment will likely result in a delay.

The case is built around wiretaps, informant testimony, and controlled drug buys by cooperators working with federal authorities.

An FBI affidavit filed as part of the case alleges that Rivera has run a drug network since at least 2006.

Rivera has been held without bail since his arrest in September. Other defendants in the case include his wife and his mother-in-law, both of whom have been released on bail pending trial.