Jamaica Gleaner
Published: Thursday | May 28, 2009
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Two Jamaicans extradited - Alleged Shower Posse members caught, sent back to US to face drug charges
Tyrone Reid, Staff Reporter

Two Jamaicans, alleged members of the notorious drug ring known on the streets as the Shower Posse, have been extradited to the United States to face multiple drug charges.

The extraditions, which occurred in mid-afternoon almost a week ago, was not publicised by local authorities.

Tonya Brown, 36, and David Stewart, 34, who US officials believed were members of the infamous drug ring, were extradited to the United States on May 22 to face charges of conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute and conspiracy to distribute cocaine and cocaine base, crack.

Narcotics breaches

The Constabulary Communication Network (CCN) confirmed the extradition.

"Both were wanted in the US for narcotics breaches," said Sergeant Janet Williams-Richards from the CCN.

While the police have heard the allegations, it could not confirm if Brown and Stewart were Shower Posse members.

"From March 2003 to May 2007, Brown and Stewart, her boyfriend and co-defendant, were a part of a Jamaican drug organisation in Utica, New York, which sold crack cocaine," said Williams-Richards.

Hiding in utica

She added: "An operation was carried out and a quantity of crack cocaine and over US$15,000 were seized."

After the seizure, Brown and Stewart fled Utica and came to Jamaica "where they have been hiding since", the CCN revealed.

Brown, a cosmetologist, hails from Spanish Town Road, Kingston 11, while Stewart, unemployed, resided in Independence City, Portmore, St Catherine.

According to the CCN, the couple was nabbed along North Street, in proximity to the Kingston Public Hospital, at 1:25 a.m., by the Jamaica Constabulary Force's fugitive apprehension team on March 26.

On us broadcasts

On Tuesday, WKTV News Channel 2, a long-time NBC affiliate, reported online that the arrest of Stewart and Brown came after a lengthy investigation by local and US-based law enforcement officials, including the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

The Utica-based station's report also stated that Brown and Stewart, who both have a string of aliases, fled the Utica area shortly before arrest warrants were executed.

The original arrest warrants were issued in July 2005.

tyrone.reid@gleanerjm.com

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