Thirteen reputed members of a ring that allegedly used airplanes to transport cocaine into the Capital Region from Las Vegas were charged Wednesday in felony drug indictments unsealed in Albany County Court.



A dozen of the suspected players in the ring were named in a 65-count indictment.

The alleged ringleaders were identified as Timothy Crawford, 41, and Jahmeek Croley, 32, known as “Meeker,” a reputed member of the Yard Boys street gang in Albany. Both men were charged with operating as a major trafficker, which carries 25 years to life in prison.

Other defendants were charged with first-degree criminal drug sale, second-degree conspiracy or both crimes. The drug charge carries eight to 20 years in state prison upon conviction.



All were arraigned before Judge William Carter, who ordered them released either on their own recognizance or under supervision of county probation. Their charges did not qualify for bail under the state’s new bail reform, which eliminated bail for most nonviolent felonies and misdemeanors.



Members of the ring obtained “large quantities of cocaine” from other states which were, in return, sold in the streets, Assistant District Attorney Jessica Blain-Lewis told the judge.

Croley was arrested on federal drug charges in November for allegedly carrying two kilos of cocaine and having a 9mm gun. Croley was convicted in 2013 of a murder-for-hire, which was later tossed by the region’s Appellate Division.

The alleged drug trafficking took place between Aug. 1 and Nov. 14. The indictment said members of the ring flew to Las Vegas on several occasions to bring cocaine to Albany where Crawford would allegedly sell the narcotics throughout the city of Albany.



The prosecutor asked the judge to set conditions for most if not all of the defendants, even though bail was not an option. He declined with only a few exceptions.



Defendants charged in the indictment who appeared before Carter on Wednesday were identified as Keron Williams, 37: Danesha Graham, 34; Monasia Toomer, 30; Corey Causwell, 36; Ronasia Robinson, 26; Luis Hernandez, 32; Crystal Lascala, 45; John Thompson, 36; Maria Nardacci, 47; Tahriek Inman, 28; Aaron Twiggs, 32, known as “Munch;” and Usavior Caldwell, 27.

Two other defendants in the ring are yet to be identified, according to people with knowledge of the case.



Another alleged member of the ring who appeared before Carter — identified as William Shedrick, 20 known as “Pounds” — was charged in a separate indictment related to the case with third-degree drug sale.



Williams, Graham, Toomer and Robinson were charged with first-degree criminal drug sale and second-degree conspiracy.



Blain-Lewis told the judge the women trafficked cocaine into the area on planes from other states which she did not identify. The indictment mentioned Las Vegas.



Twiggs was charged with second-degree drug sale and second-degree conspiracy; Hernandez was charged with second-degree drug sale and the conspiracy charge; Caldwell with conspiracy and third-degree drug sale; Lascala, Thompson, Nardacci, Inman and Causwell with conspiracy.



