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QC09152016

14 The QUEE NS Courier • SEPTEMBER 15, 2016 for breaking news visit www.qns.com Nine-term incumbent Assemblywoman Margaret Markey (at left) lost Tuesday’s Democratic primary to Woodside attorney Brian Barnwell. SEPTEMBER SURPRISE INTRODUCING A NEW LEVEL OF LUXURY LONG ISLAND CITY, NY EXCLUSIVE OFFER! 1 MONTH FREE* on select units. 888.805.2408 NYCleasing@heatherwood.com www.heatherwood.com/27 * Offer valid on selected units from 8/20/16-9/30/16. Must bring ad in to receive exclusive offer. Restrictions apply. Availability is limited. We are an Equal Opportunity landlord and comply with all fair housing laws. Heatherwood does not discriminate against anyone because of their race/color, national origin, creed, gender, familial status, disability, age, sexual orientation, marital status, military status or source of income. File photo INCUMBENT ASSEMBLYWOMAN MARKEY LOSES DEMOCRATIC PRIMARY IN A STUNNING UPSET By Robert Pozarycki rpozarycki@qns.com/@robbpoz This might be one of the biggest political upsets Queens has ever seen. Upstart Brian Barnwell defeated nine-term incumbent Assemblywoman Margaret Markey in the Sept. 13 Democratic primary for the 30th Assembly District seat. WNYC called the race for Barnwell at about 9:25 p.m. Tuesday night. Turnout was extremely low, but Barnwell got 63.8 percent of the vote (1,622) to Markey’s 36.2 percent (921), with all of the precincts reporting. “It’s wasn’t just me at all, by any means. It was all you guys, seriously. I can only do so much,” Barnwell told supporters in his victory speech. “Everyone in here gave their time and effort to help out. … Everyone went the extra mile in this room.” Incumbents are normally a shoe-in to win re-election in a primary, but the tide turned against Markey last month amid the ongoing debate over a proposed homeless shelter in Maspeth, in the heart of her district. Markey took flack from residents for failing to show up at a public meeting and a protest over the shelter, although she expressed opposition to the plan in statements that her office issued. Things came to a head at an Aug. 31 Community Board 5 public hearing on the shelter proposal, when Markey was roundly jeered by the attendees and cut her speech short. Barnwell, for his part, attended meetings over the proposed shelter and expressed vehement opposition to the plan. He also visited nightly rallies held outside the Holiday Inn Express where the facility is slated to be located. Last week, the hotel’s owner stated he was no longer supportive of the idea. The 30-year-old Barnwell, a Woodside attorney, is slated to face Republican Tony Nunziato (who was seen congratulating Barnwell at the candidate’s victory party) in the Nov. 8 general election. The 30th Assembly District covers all or parts of Astoria, Long Island City, Maspeth, Middle Village and Woodside. Dozen arrested as cops smash drug ring at Astoria Houses BY ANGELA MATUA amatua@qns.com/@AngelaMatua A yearlong anti-drug operation at the Astoria Houses resulted in 12 arrests of individuals who sold drugs and weapons to undercover officers. According to Queens District Attorney Richard A. Brown, the defendants sold crack, heroin, cocaine, ecstasy (MDMA) on nearly 100 occasions to undercover officers since September 2015. Three of the defendants are purported drug members and three were charged with selling weapons to undercover officers. A total of 98 buys for cocaine, heroin, ecstasy, marijuana and other drugs, as well as firearms, were made. The operation began to “combat violence and narcotics sales” by a group of people who have ties to ‘Kings of Queens’ and ‘G-Squad,’ two “violent street crews,” Brown said. More arrests are expected. “The Astoria Houses takedown is just the latest result of a coordinated law enforcement and prosecutorial antidrug initiative that began soon after I took office more than 25 years ago,” Brown said. “Since that time, we have targeted hundreds of drug dealers operating in and around public housing developments throughout Queens and have put a significant dent in the drug trafficking which has long troubled the residents of these developments.” The investigation commenced in September 2015, when detectives from the NYPD’s Queens Narcotics Division teamed up with District Attorney Brown’s Narcotics Investigation Bureau to identify and stop drug dealers and drug-related violence in and around the Astoria Houses. The 32.3-acre Queens development houses 3,175 residents in approximately 1,100 apartments. Astoria resident Raekwon Ingram, 19, and Maspeth resident Hassan White, 20 are alleged G-Squad members while Terrence Robinson, 26 is a purported King of Queens gang member. Other defendants include Donald Johnson, 35, Kassim Caballero, 46, John Ellerbe, 49, Rick Humphrey, 55, Justin Munoz, 18, Davonta Parham, 24, Paul Robinson, 28, Vianca Thapa, 49 and Michael Wilson, 63, all of Astoria. The defendants are variously charged with the crimes of first-, second- and third-degree criminal sale of a controlled substance, third- and fourthdegree criminal sale of marijuana, third-degree criminal sale of a firearm, second- and third-degree criminal possession of a weapon, criminal possession of a weapon, fourth-degree grand larceny, possession of a gambling device, second-degree promoting gambling and fourthdegree criminal facilitation. Photo courtesy of Wikipedia/ Jim Henderson An undercover i n v e s t i g a t i o n led to the arrest of eleven individuals who sold drugs and weapons to undercover cops at the Astoria Houses.


QC09152016
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