CHICAGO — Federal law enforcement seized more than 14
kilograms of cocaine and 15 firearms as part of an investigation that
dismantled a Texas-to-Chicago narcotics pipeline and resulted in charges
against ten defendants.
During the investigation, dubbed “Operation Grapevine,”
authorities shut down a drug stash house in a lakefront condominium in the
Kenwood neighborhood of Chicago. In
addition to the cocaine and guns, law enforcement seized approximately $215,000
in cash, and gold and diamond jewelry with an estimated value of more than
$30,000.
Arrests of the defendants were recently carried out in
Illinois and Texas.
The charges were announced by John R. Lausch, Jr., United
States Attorney for the Northern District of Illinois; Robert J. Bell, Special
Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field Division of the U.S. Drug Enforcement
Administration; Timothy Jones, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago Field
Division of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives;
Larry L. Lapp, acting Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the FBI;
James M. Gibbons, Special Agent-in-Charge of the Chicago office of the U.S.
Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland Security Investigations; and
Eddie Johnson, Superintendent of the Chicago Police Department. Substantial assistance was provided by the
IRS Criminal Investigation Division, U.S. Marshals Service, Cook County State’s
Attorney’s Office, and Illinois State Police.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Kelly Guzman,
Katherine Neff Welsh and Brian Kerwin.
The probe was led by the Chicago High Intensity Drug
Trafficking Area program (HIDTA), with support from the Organized Crime Drug
Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The
programs partner with federal, state and local law enforcement agencies to
identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking
organizations.
According to a criminal complaint filed in federal court in
Chicago, DARRIN PULPHUS, 50, of Tinley Park, is the leader of a drug
trafficking organization that obtained and distributed at least 23 kilograms of
cocaine in the Chicago area in a three-month period earlier this year. Pulphus obtained the drugs at least twice a
month from a Texas-based supplier, CURTIS POPE, 40, of Houston, Texas, the
complaint states. Pope allegedly
transported the cocaine from Texas in a semi-trailer truck. Another Texas resident, SHAWN TURNER, 37, of
Houston, Texas, helped facilitate the shipments, often flying from Houston to
Chicago to assist Pulphus, the complaint states.
Once in the Chicago area, Pope delivered the drugs to
Pulphus or other members of his crew at a truck yard in south suburban
Riverdale, according to the complaint.
Pulphus then allegedly worked with various distributors to sell the
drugs in the Chicago area. The complaint
charges four alleged distributors: DAVID BOWDEN, 51, DESHAWN WALLS, 34, DARRELL
WILLIAMS, 45, and LAWRENCE JOHNSON, 38, all of Chicago. Law enforcement seized a handgun and more than
900 grams of cocaine from Johnson after he obtained narcotics from Pulphus in
April 2019, the complaint states.
The complaint also charges two alleged wholesale customers
of Pulphus’s organization: ROME PERKINS, 60, and EDWARD HUMPHREY, 53, both of
Chicago. The tenth defendant, RICHARD
HOWARD, 50, of Chicago, allegedly conspired with Pulphus in the distribution of
cocaine.
All of the defendants have made initial appearances in
federal court. Johnson and Walls remain
detained in federal custody, while Pulphus, Pope, Bowden, Williams, Howard,
Humphrey, Turner and Perkins were ordered released on bond.
The public is reminded that a complaint contains only
accusations and is not evidence of guilt.
The defendants are presumed innocent and entitled to a fair trial at
which the government has the burden of proving guilt beyond a reasonable
doubt. If convicted, the Court must
impose reasonable sentences under federal sentencing statutes and the advisory
U.S. Sentencing Guidelines.
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