An MTA conductor was among 21 people busted Wednesday as part of drug- and weapons-ring in Queens linked to several murders, according to prosecutors.
The group, which is allegedly connected to six murder or attempted murder incidents, is accused of selling illegal drugs and weapons in Far Rockaway and Nassau County and operating out of the Redfern Houses in Far Rockaway, Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz said.
“Multiple search warrants revealed evidence of an intricate network of dealers and suppliers,” Katz said at a press conference announcing the results of the 17-month investigation, which wrapped up in January of this year.
Subway conductor Kimiko Leonard, a three-year transit veteran, allegedly supplied cocaine to the group, which also sold heroin, fentanyl and other substances, Katz said.
Text messages between Leonard and ringleader Antoine Nance showed the two using coded language to set up purchases — Nance would request a “ride to 200 Street,” meaning he wanted to buy 200 grams of cocaine.
The group packaged what was billed as heroin in baggies with the words “King of Death” and the image of the Grim Reaper. NYPD tests found some samples of the substance contained “pure fentanyl,” Katz alleged.
Authorized searches conducted during the investigation recovered 2,000 grams of crack and powder cocaine, 200 grams of heroin, seven guns and more than $50,000 “believe to be proceeds from narcotics sales.”
The area around Redfern Houses saw a 300-percent spike in gun violence over the course of the investigation, NYPD said — including one of the investigation’s wiretap targets, who Katz said was shot exiting the NYCHA housing complex.
MTA officials did not immediately return a request for comment.