Authorities arrested nearly 50 people for selling cocaine, marijuana, heroin and other substances at one of the nation's largest housing developments, including two men who were running drug operations out of a day care center.
Queens District Attorney Richard Brown and Police Commissioner Ray Kelly announced the charges on Friday for 46 people, ages 17 to 63, after a seven-month undercover investigation at LeFrak City in Queens.
Authorities said that while they were executing a search warrant at one apartment, the tenants released a pit bull that attacked one of the officers.
After police received information about drug dealing at the complex, they sent undercover officers to buy crack, powdered cocaine, heroin and marijuana in the investigation that went on for months.
Prosecutors said 14 drug sales took place in an apartment that was a state-licensed day care center that had the capacity for 12 children ages six weeks to 12 years.
“When they used a day care center from which to sell drugs, dealers set a new record for how low they can go," Kelly said in a statement.
More than 15,000 people live in LeFrak City, which has 5,000 apartments across 40 acres and is one of the nation's largest privately owned housing developments.
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Some residents were surprised to learn what was going on in their buildings.
"I'm so scared -- maybe I shouldn't come out," said Asha Mohammed, a parent. "I lived here a long, long time, and I haven't seen any problems."
After executing search warrants, cops recovered seven pounds of marijuana, more than two pounds of cocaine, plus 3,600 pills, $3,400 in cash and a semi-automatic handgun.
One of the people arrested is a Taxi and Limousine Commission lieutenant inspector, the DA said.
