Oneil Abrahams, 35, of Norristown,
Detectives had been closing in on an operation that had pumped at least $750,000 worth of pot into the region, Ferman said. In November, Marlon Abrahams, 33, known as "Kirk," was taken into custody, enabling police to locate his brother, Oneil "Pony" Abrahams, in California, where he was apprehended.
Ferman said the pair led a group of eight mules or drug couriers, six of whom are also in custody. She said the significance of the arrests exceeds the financial worth of the operation.
"These drug traffickers thought they were untouchable," Ferman said, adding that knowledge of their illegal activity dates back to 2001.
Ferman said the marijuana, which came from various locations, including California and Arizona, was placed in large, white plastic paint buckets. Those containers were then sealed in cardboard boxes and shipped through UPS, FedEx and DHL. The marijuana itself was encased in plastic lined with an oily residue to conceal the smell, Ferman said.
The profits were used to purchase a residence in East Norriton Township, Ferman said, which police have seized under drug forfeiture laws. Improvements to the home, which were paid in cash, included an in-ground swimming pool and top-of-the-line furnishings, she said.
In addition to the brothers, the following Norristown residents were charged with participating in the drug operation:
Rasheen Sakoo Jones, 33; Minnie McKay, 34; Danelle Lynn Jackson, 28; Omar Ross, 33; Tia Baker, 32; and Marjorie S. Dean, 29. Lakysha Bellamy, 22, of Conway, S.C., and Milan J. Dean, 25, of Norristown are at lar
Detectives had been closing in on an operation that had pumped at least $750,000 worth of pot into the region, Ferman said. In November, Marlon Abrahams, 33, known as "Kirk," was taken into custody, enabling police to locate his brother, Oneil "Pony" Abrahams, in California, where he was apprehended.
Ferman said the pair led a group of eight mules or drug couriers, six of whom are also in custody. She said the significance of the arrests exceeds the financial worth of the operation.
"These drug traffickers thought they were untouchable," Ferman said, adding that knowledge of their illegal activity dates back to 2001.
Ferman said the marijuana, which came from various locations, including California and Arizona, was placed in large, white plastic paint buckets. Those containers were then sealed in cardboard boxes and shipped through UPS, FedEx and DHL. The marijuana itself was encased in plastic lined with an oily residue to conceal the smell, Ferman said.
The profits were used to purchase a residence in East Norriton Township, Ferman said, which police have seized under drug forfeiture laws. Improvements to the home, which were paid in cash, included an in-ground swimming pool and top-of-the-line furnishings, she said.
In addition to the brothers, the following Norristown residents were charged with participating in the drug operation:
Rasheen Sakoo Jones, 33; Minnie McKay, 34; Danelle Lynn Jackson, 28; Omar Ross, 33; Tia Baker, 32; and Marjorie S. Dean, 29. Lakysha Bellamy, 22, of Conway, S.C., and Milan J. Dean, 25, of Norristown are at lar
