Attorney General James Announces Takedown of Capital Region and Hudson Valley Drug Trafficking Ring

April 16, 2026

NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the takedown of a major drug trafficking ring in the Capital Region and Hudson Valley that distributed large quantities of powder and crack cocaine, as well as heroin and fentanyl. An investigation led by the Office of the Attorney General's (OAG) Organized Crime Task Force (OCTF) recovered more than five kilograms of cocaine and approximately 1.2 kilograms of heroin laced with fentanyl, which has a combined potential street value of approximately $350,000. In addition, the investigation seized five handguns and approximately $67,000 in cash. 26 individuals were charged with 276 crimes for their roles in the drug trafficking operation, which was active in Albany, Bronx, Columbia, Greene, Rensselaer, Saratoga, Schenectady, Ulster, and Westchester Counties.

"My office is proud to work with law enforcement agencies across our state to dismantle illegal drug trafficking operations that put New Yorkers in danger," said Attorney General James. "These traffickers were flooding our communities with cocaine and a deadly combination of heroin and fentanyl. As New York continues its fight against the opioid crisis, my office will use every tool at its disposal to get dangerous narcotics off our streets. I thank our law enforcement partners for their work in this successful investigation."

The investigation was led by OCTF in partnership with the New York State Police (NYSP), the Rensselaer County Sheriff's Office, and the Bethlehem Police Department. The year-long investigation included covert surveillance and hundreds of hours of wiretaps over more than two dozen target phones, aimed at rooting out heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine dealers operating in the Capital Region and elsewhere in New York.

A central figure in the narcotics distribution network was Jahrell Friday, who often partnered with Leesa Walker, Kevon Gordon, Marcella Anastasio, Lauren Cave, Mark Hebert II, Cedar Lofland, Jacob Tesch, and others to sell heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine in the Capital Region. During the investigation, Friday often obtained narcotics to sell from Albany-based sources, such as Jayshaun Young and Thomas Doutsis. Friday also attempted to import narcotics from California via the mail. One of his packages, intercepted by law enforcement, contained a kilogram of cocaine mixed in with Christmas presents and clothing for children. Friday made his sales in his home in Albany, as well as in local parking lots and hotel rooms. The defendants used code words when communicating, including "Fernando" as a code for fentanyl and "dog food" or "food" to refer to heroin.

Alex Umpierre and Alcides Garcia, who are both based in the Bronx, were the suppliers for Young, who transported cocaine from the Bronx to Albany and supplied Friday. As alleged in the indictment, Umpierre and Garcia are each charged with Operating as a Major Trafficker, which carries a mandatory life sentence in state prison. Garcia used a bodega on Arthur Avenue in the Bronx as a distribution point for his narcotics trafficking. Later in the investigation, Umpierre admitted in an intercepted call that he was cooking crack cocaine in his Bronx apartment and left a Pyrex container on a hot stove, causing his apartment to fill with crack cocaine smoke and destroying $2,000 worth of cocaine. A search of Umpierre's home in the Bronx recovered three handguns.

"Good police work and invaluable partnerships were key in bringing down this illegal drug trafficking organization and the vicious crimes perpetuated by it," said New York State Police Superintendent Steven G. James. "This substantial investigation unveiled numerous individuals distributing deadly drugs without any regard for who might purchase them or the intended use. There is no doubt that by intercepting these dangerous acts, lives have been saved. I want to thank the Attorney General's Office and our partners for their outstanding work on this investigation."

The 276-count indictment unsealed today in Albany County Court charges the defendants with crimes for their involvement in the narcotics trafficking operation, including various counts of Criminal Sale and Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance (class A, B, C, D felonies) as well as Conspiracy in the Second Degree (a class B felony). In addition to the narcotics offenses, Hebert was charged with Grand Larceny in the Fourth Degree and related charges for the theft of a vehicle in Bethlehem, New York.

Those charged in today's indictment include:

• Nicole Alberts, 30, of Ravena, NY
• Marcella Anastasio, 46, of Albany, NY
• Matthew Bell, 57, of Albany, NY
• Lauren Cave, 43, of Hoosick Falls, NY
• Tyrun Covington, 51, of Rensselaer, NY
• Thomas Doutsis, 29, of Albany, NY
• Todd Fordley, 38, of Albany, NY
• Jahrell Friday, 39, of Albany, NY
• Alcides Garcia, 55, of Bronx, NY
• Kevon Gordon, 32, of Rensselaer, NY
• Mark E. Hebert II, 42, of Cohoes, NY
• Jorge Hernandez, 28, of Schenectady, NY
• Gary Holmes, 41, of Albany, NY
• Cedar Lofland, 53, of Queensbury, NY
• Brenda Patterson, 59, of Earlton, NY
• Wilbert Reynoso, 32, of the Bronx, NY
• Reed Simmons, 25, of East Chatham, NY
• David Slurff, 53, of East Greenbush, NY
• Anthony Tedesco, 44, of Albany, NY
• Jacob Tesch, 43, of Troy, NY
• Alex Umpierre, 41, of the Bronx, NY
• Leesa Walker, 34, of Albany, NY
• Michael Wescott, 51, of Gansevoort, NY
• Errol Williams, 36, of Albany, NY
• Jamel Young, 37, of Waterbury, CT
• Jayshaun Young, 30, of Albany, NY

The charges against the defendants are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Today's takedown is the latest in the Attorney General's SURGE Initiative (Suburban and Upstate Response to the Growing Epidemic) to root out violent drug trafficking; since launching in 2017, SURGE has taken 1,035 alleged traffickers off the streets.

The investigation was directed by the NYSP Violent Gang and Narcotics Enforcement Team (VG-NET) and OCTF Detective Michael Peckham, under the supervision of OCTF Supervising Detective Brian Fleming, with the assistance of the U.S. Army National Guard Counterdrug Task Force, all under the supervision of former OCTF Assistant Chief John Monte and Deputy Chief Andrew Boss. The OAG's Investigations Division is led by Chief Oliver Pu-Folkes.

The OAG also thanks Albany County District Attorney Lee Kindlon, the New York State Intelligence Center (NYSIC), and the Rensselaer County Sheriff's Office Investigators Daniel Morrisey and Jaimi Panichi for their assistance in the investigation.

The case is being prosecuted by OCTF Assistant Deputy Attorney General Andrew McElwee, with the assistance of Confidential Administrative Aide Stephanie Donovan and Legal Support Analyst AnnaLisa MacPhee, under the supervision of OCTF Upstate Deputy Bureau Chief Maria Moran. Nicole Keary is the Deputy Attorney General in Charge of OCTF. The Criminal Justice Division is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Jose Maldonado. Both the Investigations Division and the Criminal Justice Division are overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.