Maine women accused of trafficking drugs for New York street gang

The criminal complaint was filed U.S. District Court in Brooklyn for the Eastern District of New York (Courtesy photo)

NEW YORK - Three Maine women have been charged with being part of a drug enterprise run by a New York City street gang called the Bullies that has allegedly trafficked drugs throughout Maine the past three years.

As charged in the complaint out of the U.S. District Court in Brooklyn Eastern District of New York, Moeleek Harrell, the founder of the Bully gang and currently an inmate at Rikers Island, a New York jail, coordinated with associates to smuggle 5-Fluoro MDMB-Pica, a Schedule I controlled substance commonly referred to as "K2," into the jail.

Law enforcement officers recovered multiple pages of a court transcript that had been soaked in K2 and earmarked for delivery to Harrell, according to a press release. A subsequent search of Harrell's cell revealed additional pages of paper from comic books that field tested positive for synthetic cannabinoid and for fentanyl and/or heroin.

The gang used vehicles with hidden compartments to traffick the drugs between New York and Maine where it was distributed via "trap" homes in Portland, Levant, Ashland, Detroit, Jay, Swanville and Troy.

Investigators raided homes in Maine, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York on Thursday and allegedly found guns, large amounts of cash and drug manufacturing equipment.

Jessica Pelkey, 26, of Presque Isle; Amanda Walton, 31, of Portland; and Amanda Huard, 38, no address given, were among 11 alleged Bully gang members or associates named in the complaint. The Maine women are each charged with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin and at least 280 grams of crack cocaine.

Walton was also charged with money laundering.

As alleged, the drug trafficking proceeds were deposited into various bank accounts, including an account controlled by one of the charged, Bully gang member Amy Sonnenblick, who is employed as a paraprofessional by the New York City Department of Education. Sonnenblick then transferred the drug money to her co-conspirators. In addition to laundering proceeds through bank deposits and wire transfers, drug proceeds were also laundered through the acquisition of vehicles, including a Range Rover purchased by Sonnenblick and used by an alleged Bully gang member.

New Hampshire State Police assisted in the investigation.