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Gang Indicted for Narcotics Ring at the Grant Houses

By DNAinfo Staff on January 14, 2010 7:50am  | Updated on January 14, 2010 7:47am

On Wednesday, 11 men were arraigned on charges related to an alleged drug ring at the Grant Houses in Harlem. Eric Sanders, 21, is wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and Donnie Figueroa, 22, is to the right of him in a tan shirt. (Shayna Jacobs/DNAinfo)
On Wednesday, 11 men were arraigned on charges related to an alleged drug ring at the Grant Houses in Harlem. Eric Sanders, 21, is wearing a red hooded sweatshirt and Donnie Figueroa, 22, is to the right of him in a tan shirt. (Shayna Jacobs/DNAinfo)
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By Shayna Jacobs

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MANHATTAN SUPREME COURT — Eleven men, some of whom flaunted affiliations with the Bloods, Crips and "Murder Set" gangs on their MySpace pages, were indicted in connection to a narcotics ring based at the Grant Houses in Harlem, prosecutors said Wednesday.

The group controlled the sale of crack, cocaine and heroin sales at two main locations — 3170 Broadway and 75 La Salle Street — that are near two public schools near 123rd Street and Amsterdam Avenue, authorities said.

The men, who are mostly from Harlem, were arraigned in Manhattan Supreme Court Wednesday afternoon and face a host of narcotics and weapon possession charges after a 10 month investigation.

The investigation resulted from community complaints, according to a statement from Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus Vance Jr.

The men, who went by such aliases as "Gotti," "Boogs," "Goon," "Slim," and "Cuz, sold drugs to undercover police officers who caught them on wiretap and collected other forms of evidence, officials said.

The men were assigned attorneys Wednesday afternoon. They were led into the courtroom single-file and handcuffed.

One defendant with a free hand flashed his middle finger to a group of photographers in the hallway. Others covered their faces with their jackets and sweatshirts.

Bail was individually set for each of the suspects.

Eric Sanders, also called "Buddha" and "Cuz," is a repeat felon and is being held on $150,000 bail.