Federal Authorities Dismantle Texas To Chicago Drug Pipeline
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – Federal authorities made an announcement on Thursday declaring they raided a lakefront condo drug stash house located in the Kenwood area. The effort was part of a probe that dismantled a Texas to Chicago narcotic drug pipeline.
As of Thursday, ten people were facing criminal charges. There were arrests made in both Texas and Illinois.
The investigation was called “Operation Grapevine” which involved federal agents finding guns and cocaine, $215,000 in cash, and diamond and gold jewelry that is estimated to be valued at over $30,000, inside the Kenwood condo, a press reveals.
A criminal complaint that was filed in the U.S. district court says 50-year-old Darrin Pulphus of Tinley Park is a drug trafficking organization’s leader who distributed and acquired at least 23 kilograms of cocaine in the areas of Chicago in three months time this year. Pulphus received drugs at least a couple times a month from his age 40 supplier named Curtis Pope who lives in Texas. Mr. Pope used a semi-trailer truck to transport cocaine, according to authorities.
A Houston, Texas man, 37-year-old Shawn Turner, assisted in facilitating the shipment, and often took flights between Houston and Chicago to aid Pulphus, authorities say.
Mr. Pope delivered the drugs after driving to Chicago where Pulpuhs and other crew members met in a truck yard located in the southern suburbs of Riverdale.
Pulphus was working with varying distributors who sold the drugs, including Deshawn Walls, age 34, Darrell Williams, age 45, David Bowden, age 51, and Lawrence Johnson, age 38, all living in Chicago. These four men are also facing charges.
A handgun and over 900 grams of cocaine were obtained from Johnson after he received the drugs from Pulphus this past April.
All the defendants have made their first federal court appearances. Walls and Johnson were still in federal custody as of Thursday afternoon, while the others have been released on bond.
