Local, state and federal law enforcement partners came together on Wednesday to announce that 13 arrests related to illegal firearms and narcotics were made under the collaborative “Operation Clean Sweep.”  

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick said the operation successfully targeted major criminals. It began with a meeting with U.S. Attorney John Sarcone.

“We were collaborating about how frustrating it is that we know who the offenders are, the major players, the major gangbangers. We track them in the Crime Analysis Center, and there’s an old adage that 7% of the criminals commit 70% of the crime. That might not be 100% statistically accurate, but it’s pretty darn close, so John talked about offering his office and federal agents to assist us,” Fitzpatrick said.

The operation resulted in 13 arrests connected to narcotics distribution and illegal firearm offenses. Law enforcement seized 11 kilograms of cocaine, 615 grams of crack cocaine, 365 grams of fentanyl, and three pounds of methamphetamine and 37 illegally possessed firearms, Sarcone said.

“You know what 365 grams of fentanyl can do? Approximately 180,000 people could die from that. How many people fill up the stadium for Syracuse? Three times that, three times that could die from fentanyl,” Sarcone said.  

Most of the arrests occurred within the city of Syracuse or just outside of the city, Fitzpatrick said.

“Thirty-seven guns represent a significant impact on the community. The drugs, as the U.S. attorney spoke about, is significant. Gun violence is a data point that we look at but as anybody in this room knows it’s not just numbers. There’s a lot of emotion behind that. You meet with the mother of the victim of gun violence as law enforcement officers or involved in the system, and you know how difficult that is,” Syracuse Police Chief Mark Rusin said.  

Fitzpatrick said one of the arrests led to the seizure of 18 guns as well as “a slew of narcotics” but that the arrests weren’t connected other than they were done under the operation.

“We identify gang members. We have a certified list of just shy of 1,000 gang members, just in the city of Syracuse. That’s a lot of people. That’s a lot of crime to deal with because they’re not involved in legal activities, but there was no conspiracy theory here. This was not an organized network,” Fitzpatrick said.

All of the individuals will be prosecuted in federal court, he said.

The 13 people arrested are Jaron Flagg, Jerrell Allen, Carry Blunt, John Burgos, Sean Patterson, Donald Burgess, Lomere Holliman, Clive Allen, Fuquan Pitts, Crushawn Evans, Tywone Haskins, Quonta Albert and Kelvin Lacen-Roman.

“It’s impossible to know the damage those weapons and drugs caused in our neighborhoods, but I hope the community feels safer tonight knowing they will never make it into the hands of another criminal. Simply put, this operation saved lives,” FBI Special Agent in Charge Craig Tremaroli from the FBI Albany Field Office said.

Fitzpatrick said the operation will continue.

“This has by no means ended,” Fitzpatrick said.