Local Man Pleads Guilty to Cocaine and Heroin Trafficking
Mendeecees Harris, 36, of the Bronx, New York, has pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 500 grams or more of cocaine. The charges carry a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, a maximum 40 years, a fine of $5,000,000.00, or both.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Frank H. Sherman stated that the defendant participated in a conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine from 2005 until August 2012. Harris admitted that, from at least 2006 through 2008, in New York City, he participated in the distribution of quantities of heroin and cocaine with others to individuals who were transporting the drugs to Rochester and distributing them. At least 40 kilograms of cocaine and a kilogram of heroin were involved in this conduct.
The defendant, who has been appearing recently as a cast member of the VH-1 television show, Love and Hip Hop, New York, agreed to forfeit all of his income from that show and personal appearances while he is awaiting sentencing in this case. Harris agreed to forfeit all of that income, amounting to at least $100,000 cash, as well as a 2011 Audi R8 vehicle, as substitute assets representing proceeds of his illegal activities.
The plea is the culmination of an investigation on the part of Special Agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James J. Hunt, New York Field Division, investigators with the Rochester Police Department, under the direction of Chief Michael Ciminelli, and Special Agents of the Internal Revenue Service, Criminal Investigation Division, under the direction of Shantelle P. Kitchen, Special Agent in Charge, New York Field Office.
Sentencing is scheduled for August 31, 2015, at 3:00 p.m. before Judge Frank P. Geraci, Jr.
Mendeecees Harris’s plea is a significant blow to the cocaine and heroin trafficking ring that he was a part of. The investigation and subsequent plea deal are a testament to the hard work and dedication of law enforcement agencies in New York State.
As a cast member of Love and Hip Hop, Harris’s arrest and subsequent guilty plea have sparked widespread attention and criticism. Many are calling for VH-1 to cut ties with Harris and remove him from the show.
Key Facts
- State: New York
- Category: Drug Trafficking|Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release ↗
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