A notorious drug dealer who began his life of crime in the 1980s during the crack epidemic was finally brought to justice along with dozens of other criminals in New York, said the NYPD and Queens District Attorney on Thursday. James Corley, 51, who evaded police for nearly 30 years, was charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance after a 15-month investigation by the NYPD.

Police used wiretaps and surveillance equipment to arrest 45 individuals for the illegal sale of narcotics. The NYPD focused on two street gangs known to be associated with the Bloods: The South Side Bloods and the Queens Supreme Team. The Queens Supreme Team, in which James Wall Corley was an original member, was known for its violence and its ability to capitalize on the drug trade during the 1980s, reported the Associated Press.

The onset of the crack epidemic in the 1980s gave rise to a number of violent, gun-toting narcotics gangs which plagued many of the city's neighborhoods - especially here in Queens, which was at the epicenter of the crack epidemic, said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown in a statement. Despite the fact that police and prosecutors successfully dismantled the gangs and sent their leaders away to prison for long periods of time, it is alleged that the defendant Corley returned to his roots to sell crack and cocaine in and around the same housing project his crew held hostage years ago. What he failed to realize, however, was that the city had changed for the better and would not be dragged back to the bad old days.

Corley allegedly supplied cocaine to the South Side Bloods and other low level dealers, according to authorities. Police believe that the South Side Bloods and the Queens Supreme Team were able to gross over $15,000 a week distributing narcotics to dealers.

Corley took extreme precautions to avoid getting caught by police. He had as many as eight phones and would often keep his associated in the dark about where he lived, reported the AP.

Although Corley allegedly took extreme care to insulate himself from detection by law enforcement by frequently changing telephone numbers and having he and his associates communicate through coded language, his efforts proved unsuccessful, said Brown in a statement. These arrests - and the seizure of drugs, guns and other contraband resulting from this investigation - should serve as a warning to both drug dealers and violent criminals alike that the law enforcement community - in spite of the City's economic difficulties - will continue to aggressively track down those individuals who traffic in drugs and seek to put them in prison.

Detective David Leonardi of the New York Police Department's Queens Gang Division pieced together the operation. He detected through use of the wiretaps that the gangs would use a code language called the 5 percenter in order to submit drug orders, reported the AP.

The Supreme Team was run by Kenneth Supreme McGriff. He allegedly used his drug money to funnel cash into the hip-hop music label, Murder Inc. He was convicted of murder in 2007 and is now serving life without parole.

The Queens Supreme Team is also allegedly responsible for the murder of NYPD Officer Edward Byrne in 1988.

While Corley was not charged in the murder of Eddie Byrne, generations of police officers will take no small satisfaction in the fact that an associate of his killers has been brought to justice, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said, according to the New York Post.

NYPD Capt. James Ryan said the drug operation this week signaled the end of a major drug operation that had controlled parts of Queens for decades.

We feel it's pretty much dismantled now with Corley being taken out of the picture, he said. It remains to be seen, we're always vigilant and we think this is the end of them.

A notorious drug dealer who began his life of crime in the 1980s during the crack epidemic was finally brought to justice along with dozens of other criminals in New York on Thursday. James Corley, 51, who evaded police for nearly 30 years, was charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance after a 15-month investigation by the NYPD.

Police used wiretaps and surveillance equipment to arrest 45 individuals for the illegal sale of narcotics. The NYPD focused on two street gangs known to be associated with the Bloods; the South Side Bloods and the Queens Supreme Team. The Queens Supreme Team, in which James Wall Corley was an original member, was known for its violence and its ability to capitalize on the drug trade during the 1980s, reported the Associated Press.

The onset of the crack epidemic in the 1980s gave rise to a number of violent, gun-toting narcotics gangs which plagued many of the city's neighborhoods - especially here in Queens, which was at the epicenter of the crack epidemic, said Queens District Attorney Richard Brown in a statement. Despite the fact that police and prosecutors successfully dismantled the gangs and sent their leaders away to prison for long periods of time, it is alleged that the defendant Corley returned to his roots to sell crack and cocaine in and around the same housing project his crew held hostage years ago. What he failed to realize, however, was that the city had changed for the better and would not be dragged back to the bad old days.

Corley allegedly supplied cocaine to the South Side Bloods and other low level dealers, according to authorities. Police believe that the South Side Bloods and the Queens Supreme Team were able to gross over $15,000 a week distributing narcotics to dealers.

Corley took extreme precautions to avoid getting caught by police. He had as many as eight phones and would often keep his associated in the dark about where he lived, reported the AP.

Although Corley allegedly took extreme care to insulate himself from detection by law enforcement by frequently changing telephone numbers and having he and his associates communicate through coded language, his efforts proved unsuccessful, said Brown in a statement. These arrests - and the seizure of drugs, guns and other contraband resulting from this investigation - should serve as a warning to both drug dealers and violent criminals alike that the law enforcement community - in spite of the City's economic difficulties - will continue to aggressively track down those individuals who traffic in drugs and seek to put them in prison.

Detective David Leonardi of the New York Police Department's Queens Gang Division pieced together the operation. He detected through use of the wiretaps that the gangs would use a code language called the 5 percenter in order to submit drug orders, reported the AP.

The Supreme Team was run by Kenneth Supreme McGriff. He allegedly used his drug money to funnel cash into the hip-hop music label, Murder Inc. He was convicted of murder in 2007 and is now serving life without parole.

The Queens Supreme Team is also allegedly responsible for the murder of NYPD Officer Edward Byrne in 1988.

While Corley was not charged in the murder of Eddie Byrne, generations of police officers will take no small satisfaction in the fact that an associate of his killers has been brought to justice, Police Commissioner Ray Kelly said, according to the New York Post.

NYPD Capt. James Ryan said the drug operation this week signaled the end of a major drug operation that had controlled parts of Queens for decades.

We feel it's pretty much dismantled now with Corley being taken out of the picture, he said. It remains to be seen, we're always vigilant and we think this is the end of them.

In a statement, the Brown released the names of 26 alleged drug dealers and 19 buyers that were arrested in the takedown.

ALLEGED NARCOTICS SUPPLIERS, DEALERS AND WORKERS (26)

Vivica Allen, 51, of 106-35 159th Street in Jamaica, Queens, was arrested on March 15, 2012, for third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Allen is alleged to be a narcotics worker.

Darren Andrews, 47, of 121-02 Sutphin Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens, was arrested on January 26, 2012, for third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Andrews is alleged to be a narcotics supplier.

Gregory Avery, 41, of 97-11 Horace Harding Expressway in Corona, Queens, was arrested on February 16, 2012, for third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Avery is alleged to be a narcotics supplier.

Nathan Braithwaite, 47, of 110-32 Unionhall Street in Jamaica, Queens, was arrested on May 10, 2012, for third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Braithwaite is alleged to be a member of the Corley organization and a narcotics supplier.

Marc Carmon, 40, of 116-30 166th Street in Queens, was arrested on December 1, 2011, for third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Carmon is alleged to be a narcotics dealer.

Antoine Carroll, 33, of 610 Third Avenue in Brooklyn, was arrested on April 23, 2012, for third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Carroll is alleged to be a Bloods member and a narcotics dealer.

Deval Cobb, 42, of 80-12 Garden Wood Terrace in Richmond, Virginia, was arrested on January 31, 2012, for third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Cobb is alleged to be a narcotics customer and a worker for the Corley organization.

James Corley, 51, of 172-32 133rd Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, was arrested on May 10, 2012, for second-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Corley is alleged to be the leader of the Corley Crew and a narcotics supplier.

Anthony Davis, 30, of 146-20 225th Street in Queens, was arrested on September 22, 2011, for endangering the welfare of a child. Davis was allegedly found in possession of marijuana following the execution of a search warrant at his residence in which was a four-year-old child.

David Driggins, 45, of 60 Ludwig Lane in Staten Island, New York, was arrested on April 25, 2012, for third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Driggins is alleged to be a narcotics associate of defendant Milburn.

Travis Forbes, 36, of 1076 Gipson Street in Far Rockaway, Queens, was arrested on April 24, 2012, for third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Forbes is alleged to be a Bloods member.

Leonard Gibson, 35, of 11 Paerdegat 10 Street in Brooklyn, New York, was arrested on October 4, 2011, for third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Gibson is alleged to be a Bloods member.

Steven Houston, 30, of 130-06 150th Street in Jamaica, Queens, was arrested on January 12, 2012, for third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Houston is alleged to be a narcotics supplier and a high-ranking member of the South Side Bloods.

Shawn Inman, 25, of 125-60 Sutphin Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens, was arrested on January 12, 2012, for third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Inman is alleged to be a narcotics worker for the South Side Bloods.

Tamar Loper, 35, of 116-30 166th Street in Jamaica, Queens, was arrested on December 1, 2011, for third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Loper is alleged to be a narcotics dealer.

Donald Merritt, 24, of 159-02 190th Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, was arrested on March 21, 2008, for third-degree criminal possession of a weapon. Merritt is alleged to be a 40s Bloods member.

Kyle Milburn, 38, of 156 West 141st Street in Manhattan, was arrested on April 25, 2012, for first-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Milburn is alleged to be a narcotics supplier to original members of Supreme Team.

Allen Mitchell, 33, of 145-48 106th Avenue in Queens, was arrested on January 12, 2010, for second-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Mitchell is alleged to be a narcotics supplier to the South Side Bloods.

Joshua Paige, 42, of 1-05 Astoria Boulevard in Astoria, Queens, was arrested on May 16, 2012, for third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Paige is alleged to be a narcotics associate of James Corley.

Ryan Pelt, 40, of 108-41 159th Street in Jamaica, Queens, was arrested on March 30, 2012, for first-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Pelt is alleged to be a facilitator in the case of Kenneth Whitehead.

Craig Scott, 34, of 189-18 Doormans Road in St. Albans, Queens, was arrested on April 21, 2011, for fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Scott is alleged to be a narcotics supplier for the South Side Bloods.

Michael Stephens, 59, of 102-60 185th Street in Hollis, Queens, was arrested on March 26, 2012, for third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Stephens is alleged to be a narcotics associate of James Corley.

Nicole Turner, 41, of 241-07 145th Avenue in Rosedale, Queens, was arrested on May 9, 2012, for first-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Turner is alleged to be a narcotics worker.

Troy Walker, 44, of 106-35 159th Street in Jamaica, Queens, was arrested on May 10, 2012, for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Walker is alleged to be a member of James Corley's narcotics organization.

Kenneth Whitehead, 44, of 950 Underhill Avenue in the Bronx, New York, was arrested on March 30, 2012, for first-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance. Whitehead is alleged to be a narcotics supplier.

Brian Wright, 26, of 2663 Pitkin Avenue in Brooklyn, was arrested on October 3, 2011, for third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Wright is alleged to be a narcotic worker and a customer.

NARCOTICS CUSTOMERS (19)

Craig Belcher, 47, of 120-02 Sutphin Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens, was arrested on July 7, 2011, for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Belcher is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

Valeria Brown, 51, of 147-17 North Conduit Avenue in Queens, was arrested on November 2, 2011, for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Brown is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

Dwayne Calinda, 27, of 108-36 160th Street in Queens, was arrested on November 22, 2011, for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Calinda is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

Roderick Cook, 28, of 134-26 155th Street in Jamaica, Queens, was arrested on October 24, 2011, for third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Cook is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

Jerry Currin, 55, of 161-13 121st Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, was arrested on April 23, 2012, for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Currin is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

Bradley Denize, 47, of 223-24 113th Avenue in Queens, was arrested on November 27, 2011, for third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Denize is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

Peter Dimitroff, 65, of 63-107 Alderton Street in Queens, was arrested on December 12, 2012, for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Dimitroff is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

Wilson Dobie, 47, of 130-11 147th Street in Queens, was arrested on August 10, 2011, for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Dobie is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

Lawrence Hampton, 44, of 95-14 Liverpool Street in Queens, was arrested on March 26, 2012, for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Hampton is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

Charles Henley, 29, of 130-05 224th Street in Queens, was arrested on October 4, 2011, for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Henley is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

William Lewis, 50, of 196-12 118th Avenue in Queens, was arrested on December 11, 2011, for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Lewis is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

Michael McBean, 51, of 147-32 Glassboro Avenue in Jamaica, Queens, was arrested on June 20, 2011, for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. McBean is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

Michael McAuley, 39, of 240-35 141st Avenue in Queens, was arrested on June 6, 2011, for third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Mcauley is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

Aisha McGibbon, 27, of 110-14 Sutphin Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens, was arrested on August 11, 2011, for third-degree criminal possession of marihuana. McGibbon is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

Stevie McGibbon, 27, of 110-14 Sutphin Boulevard in Jamaica, Queens, was arrested on August 11, 2011, for third-degree criminal possession of marihuana. McGibbon is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

Zhora Musheyev, 35, of 108-15 63rd Drive in Forest Hills, Queens, was arrested on February 15, 2012, for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Musheyev is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

Tiffany Powers, 31, of 7007 Kissena Boulevard in Queens, was arrested on December 1, 2011, for third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Powers is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

Sanjay Sirgu, 25, of 542 Autumn Avenue in Brooklyn, was arrested on November 9, 2011, for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Sirgu is alleged to be a narcotics customer.

Artyom Yagudayev, 35, of 5260 South Ulster Street in Denver, Colorado, was arrested on February 15, 2012, for seventh-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. Yagudayev is alleged to be narcotics customer.

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