By PAUL KIRBY
Freeman staff

KINGSTON — Police on Tuesday rounded up eight suspected drug dealers, including the son of a Kingston alderwoman who serves a liaison to the county crime-fighting team that made the arrests.

Timothy Matthews, a detective lieutenant in the Kingston Police Department and head of the Ulster Regional Gang Enforcement Narcotics Team (URGENT), said most of the arrests were the result of an investigation that began in late December. He said several of the suspects are members of street gangs.

The majority of the arrests were made after police obtained indictments charging the suspects with felony sale of heroin, cocaine or crack, Matthews said.

Police started making the arrests about 6 a.m. Tuesday, though some of the suspects already were in jail on other charges, Matthews said.

Arrested for criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a controlled substance, according to Matthews, were: Maria Ramirez, 48, of Partition Street, Saugerties; Cameron Woodson, 26, of Brooklyn; Jaspeth Roberts, 22, of 62 Sheehan Court, Kingston; William Arrendale, 19, of Wall Street, Kingston; Darnell Hardin, 22, of 173 Smith Ave., Kingston; Fred Edwards, 23, of 486 Wilbur Ave., Kingston; Thomas Barnes, 39, of 24 Park St., Kingston; and Jesse Landerway, 27, of 159 High St., Phoenicia.

Landerway is the son of the Rev. Shirley Whitlock, the alderwoman in Kingston’s Fourth Ward and the Common Council’s liaison to URGENT. Whitlock’s ward, which is largely in Midtown Kingston, has been plagued by drug activity and other crimes for years.

Whitlock, reached by phone Tuesday afternoon, confirmed Landerway is her son but would not comment on his arrest.

Matthews said Woodson and Roberts are members of the Latin Kings street gang, and Arrendale, Hardin, Edwards and a man still being sought on a warrant for drug sales are members of the Bloods.

Also on Tuesday, Matthews said, police arrested Lawrence Barnes, age unavailable, of Loganville, Ga., for unlawful possession of marijuana and on a felony drug warrant; and Maciej Smoreda, 23, of Van Gaasbeck Street, Kingston, for misdemeanor marijuana possession and criminal nuisance. Continued...

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Also in connection with the investigation, Jarmale Gant, 31, of 85 John St., Kingston, was charged earlier this month with felony drug possession and misdemeanor loitering, Matthews said.

During the investigation, undercover officers bought between $50 and $250 worth of narcotics from each of the accused dealers, Matthews said.

He also said the Kingston Police Department and URGENT will continue to round people who sell drugs.

“I can guarantee that this won’t be the last one,” Matthews said.

Kingston Police Chief Gerald Keller said arresting drug dealers serves two purposes.

“We are arresting drug dealers in hopes of preventing drug dealing and alleviating some of the violence that is spawned from it,” he said.

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