16 THE QUEENS COURIER • MAY 11, 2017 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM Former pro baller busted for leading a major heroin ring BY ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@qns.com / @robbpoz A retired pro basketball player from Jamaica Estates was arrested on May 4 for allegedly leading a major heroin distribution ring across Brooklyn, prosecutors announced. James “Fly” Williams, 65, was among 13 individuals charged for allegedly operating the ring that distributed 2 million glassine envelopes of heroin — with street values of between $6 and $10 each — across a number of Brooklyn neighborhoods over a three-month period, according to acting Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez. Law enforcement sources said Williams arranged for vast quantities of the narcotics to be purchased from Bronx-based suppliers; the other members of the ring then peddled the drugs in communities including Bushwick, Brownsville, Flatbush and Fort Greene. A number of transactions occurred near the Brownsville Recreation Center, according to Gonzalez. “Th ese defendants had no consideration of the harm suff ered by so many from the dangerous narcotics they allegedly peddled,” Gonzalez said. “Th ey just cared about making money, exploiting addicts and the heroin epidemic that is spreading throughout our communities with devastating results.” Williams, a Brooklyn native and highly regarded prospect out of Austin Peay University, was draft ed by the Denver Nuggets, which was then a part of the American Basketball Association (ABA), in 1974; his contract was later sold to the Spirits of St. Louis, where Williams played during the 1974-75 season. He wound up not playing in the 1975-76 season and was without a team aft er the Spirits folded as a result of the ABA’s merger with the National Basketball Association (NBA). Williams went on to play in the Continental Basketball Association and in leagues overseas, but his career ended in the early 1980s aft er being shot during a robbery attempt. Prosecutors said the arrests were the result of an investigation conducted between September of 2016 and May of this year that included undercover drug purchases, electronic wiretaps and physical surveillance. Police executed search warrants on May 3 at various locations connected to the drug ring, seizing six fi rearms, two kilos of heroin, an additional 13,667 glassine envelopes and more than $185,000 in cash. Williams was charged with operating as a major traffi cker in violation of the state’s drug kingpin statute, fi rst- and third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, third- and fourth-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance and fourth-degree conspiracy, among other charges. He faces up to 25 years to life behind bars if convicted, Gonzalez said. Th e other 12 defendants, all of whom hail from the Bronx and Brooklyn, face similar charges and jail terms if convicted. ATM skim scammers hit Ozone Park bank BY ROBERT POZARYCKI rpozarycki@qns.com / @robbpoz Two men remain at large for attaching a skimmer onto an ATM at an Ozone Park bank last month, police said, potentially compromising the accounts of anyone who may have used the device. Law enforcement sources said the two suspects allegedly planted the card-reading device onto the ATM at the New York Community Bank located at 98-16 101st Ave. on April 11. An ATM technician working on the machine discovered the skimmer at 8 a.m. the next morning and reported it to the 102nd Precinct, authorities said. Skimmers, which are installed over the slots where customers insert their credit or debit cards into an ATM, are used to record the personal information contained on the cards’ magnetic strips. Th ieves use the information retrieved from skimmers to make illegal withdrawals from a victim’s bank account, or to fraudulently open credit card accounts in a victim’s name. Police across Queens have been warning residents about ATM skimmers in recent months aft er a number of them have been found on ATMs in banks and even convenience stores. Never use an ATM that may appear to be broken or malfunctioning, or may have a loose card-reader slot, as that could be a sign that the machine has been compromised. Th ose who believe they have used a compromised ATM should monitor Photo via Google Maps/Inset courtesy of NYPD their bank and credit card statements and report any fraudulent activity. Anyone with information regarding the suspects in the Ozone Park skimming case is urged to call Crime Stoppers at 800-577-TIPS, visit their website or send a text message to 274637 (CRIMES), then enter TIP577. All calls and messages are kept confi dential. Company picked to build LGA AirTrain Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on May 8 the selection of an engineering fi rm that would create a plan for new AirTrain stations at LaGuardia Airport. Parsons Brinckerhoff Inc. will lead the planning work on three separate projects including two new stations at the new terminal buildings located at the airport, a station at Willets Point and the “right-of-way” for the train from the airport to Willets Point. According to Cuomo, the station complex will transport travelers between the new LIRR and 7 train stations that will be built within the next 5 years at Willets Point and the new AirTrain station at the airport. Parsons Brinckerhoff will “analyze and assess alignment alternatives, conduct a geotechnical review, create a conceptual design for both the train right-of-way and the stations, and develop cost estimates for the project,” according to a press release. Angela Matua Seven sickened after spill at JFK A 55-gallon drum containing a hazardous chemical was struck by a forklift and began leaking at JFK Airport on May 5, causing seven people to be hospitalized aft er suff ering burns and respiratory problems, according to the Port Authority. Th e incident occurred at about 11:55 a.m. on Friday when airport employees started complaining of respiratory distress and burns on their skin. Th e Port Authority Police Department Emergency Service Unit was called to Hangar 9 where they found the leaking drum. Hangar 9 is used to warehouse commercial products. Th e employees were taken to Jamaica Hospital, where they were treated for their injuries. Police confi rmed that the substance was Origanum, an oil that is deemed toxic and corrosive and used in makeup and fl avoring. It was shipped to the United States from Hungary, according to a Port Authority Spokesperson. Angela Matua Senior struck by car in Howard Beach An 89-year-old man was critically injured aft er he was hit by a car while crossing a busy Howard Beach street on Sunday aft ernoon. According to police, at 12:48 p.m. on May 7, an 89-year-old man from Howard Beach was walking across Cross Bay Boulevard at the intersection of Cross Bay Boulevard and 160th Avenue. A 2002 Honda was traveling west on 160th Avenue and turned left onto Cross Bay Boulevard, hitting the victim and pushing him to the ground. Th e victim suff ered head trauma and was rushed to Jamaica Hospital. Th ere is no word on his condition, according to police. Th e driver of the Honda Pilot, a 39-yearold male, stayed at the scene. Th e investigation is ongoing by the NYPD Highway Collision Investigation Squad. Emily Davenport
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