ATF and D.C. Police Impersonate Hip-Hop Label, Arrest 70 in Sting Operation

The D.C. police alongside the DEA and ATF launched a year long investigation by posing as hip-hop label. The investigation has led to the seizure of 161 weapons and $7.2 million in drugs, and the arrest of 70 people.

The craziest part of this story is that they pulled this off by posing as a fictional rap label. It’s a damn shame that all you have to do to gain trust is pretend to be “music industry insiders.”

The undercover agents operated out of the “Manic Enterprises” studio, which was run by “Richie Valdez” (D.C. Police Sgt. Dale Sutherland) and located inside of a Northeast DC rowhouse. The “studio” opened in November of 2010, and featured the usual studio equipment, along with some additional technology-hidden audio recording devices and video taping gear.

According to authorities, many of the 70 suspects admitted they would kill police or innocent people if they deemed it necessary. Naturally, that didn’t sit well with the undercovers. Also, if you’re wondering what that $7 million in drugs consisted of, it included 80 pounds of meth, 21 pounds of coke, 1.25 gallons of PCP and 24 pounds of marijuana, heroin and ecstasy. Not a game at all.

In addition to recovering the weapons-which included a rocket launcher-and drugs, a trip to Atlanta during the investigation yielded a connection to the Mexican Drug Cartel “La Familia,” who allegedly introduced the feds to a Georgia gun supplier.

Here’s a memo to the goons, even though they should already know this: don’t trust anyone, especially people claiming to be part of the music industry.

via Complex Mag