Cocaine

Cocaine, particularly crack, is the primary drug threat to Virginia. Powdered cocaine and crack cocaine are readily available in most large population centers in the state. Cocaine abuse is associated with more drug-related treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities than is abuse of any other drug. Nearly two-thirds of all drug-related federal sentences in Virginia in FY2000 were cocaine-related. Crack cocaine is the drug most often associated with violent crime in the state. Colombian and Dominican criminal groups based in New York City and Philadelphia and, to a lesser but increasing extent, Mexican criminal groups based in Atlanta and Charlotte transport wholesale quantities of powdered cocaine into Virginia and distribute the drug at the wholesale level. Virginia-based African American, Caucasian, and Jamaican criminal groups and local independent dealers travel primarily to New York City, and also to Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Miami to purchase wholesale quantities of powdered cocaine and return to Virginia to distribute the drug at the retail level. Cocaine typically is transported into Virginia in private or rental vehicles. Retail distributors usually convert powdered cocaine into crack in Virginia on an as-needed basis. Wholesale crack distribution usually is limited to multiounce quantities. African American criminal groups based in Virginia and African American local independent dealers and street gangs distribute crack at the wholesale and retail levels. Retail distributors typically sell crack at open-air markets in Virginia and at public housing projects in the Central Virginia and Tidewater areas.

Figure 1. Central Virginia.

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Abuse

The number of treatment admissions for cocaine abuse in Virginia remained stable from 1995 through 1999. (See Table 1 in Overview section.) According to state substance abuse data, the number of treatment admissions for cocaine abuse decreased overall from 11,893 in 1995 to 11,363 in 1999. The state had more drug-related treatment admissions to publicly funded facilities for cocaine abuse than for any other drug from 1995 through 1999.

Cocaine abuse is cited frequently in drug-related deaths in Virginia. Cocaine was a factor in 48 deaths in 1998, 74 in 1999, and 56 in 2000, according to the Virginia Medical Examiner (ME) Office. Cocaine ranked second after heroin (165) as the drug most commonly mentioned in drug-related deaths in Virginia in 2000. In addition, cocaine was mentioned in 13 of the 46 drug-abuse deaths in the Norfolk area in 1999, according to Drug Abuse Warning Network (DAWN) ME data. (The Norfolk area also includes ME data from Newport News, Portsmouth, and Virginia Beach.)

Law enforcement officials in Virginia also report that cocaine abuse is common. According to responses to the National Drug Intelligence Center (NDIC) National Drug Threat Survey 2001, law enforcement officials in Alexandria, Fairfax, Newport News, Richmond, and Roanoke report that rates of powdered and crack cocaine abuse are high. Law enforcement officials in Emporia and Lynchburg report that rates of crack abuse are high and that rates of powdered cocaine abuse are moderate.

Powdered cocaine is commonly abused at nightclubs and bars, while crack is primarily abused in low-income, inner-city housing projects. Many white-collar professionals reportedly purchase powdered cocaine for personal use at nightclubs, bars, and offices. Crack is commonly purchased by low-income, inner-city abusers at open-air markets and public housing projects.

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Availability

Cocaine, particularly crack, is readily available in urban population centers and many medium-sized cities in Virginia. According to responses to the NDIC National Drug Threat Survey 2001, law enforcement officials in Alexandria, Fairfax, Newport News, and Richmond report that powdered cocaine and crack cocaine are readily available. Law enforcement officials in Charlottesville, Lynchburg, and Roanoke report that crack cocaine is readily available, and powdered cocaine is sometimes available.

Seizure data also reflect the ready availability of cocaine in Virginia. According to Federal-wide Drug Seizure System (FDSS) data, federal law enforcement officials in Virginia seized 62.2 kilograms of cocaine in FY1998, 78.7 kilograms in FY1999, and 55.8 kilograms in FY2000. Law enforcement officials seized 10.6 kilograms of cocaine in 1999 and 21.2 kilograms in 2000 under Operation Pipeline and 24.7 kilograms of cocaine in 1999 and 11.5 kilograms in 2000 under Operation Jetway.

Figure 2. Tidewater.

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The percentage of federal sentences in Virginia that were cocaine-related was higher than the national percentage. According to U.S. Sentencing Commission data, over 63 percent of drug-related federal sentences in Virginia in FY2000 were cocaine-related compared with approximately 44 percent nationally. Over 51 percent of drug-related federal sentences in Virginia that year were crack-related compared with approximately 21 percent nationally.

The number of cocaine-related federal sentences was higher than for any other drug in FY2000. Virginia had 337 cocaine-related federal sentences in FY1996, 572 in FY1997, 545 in FY1998, 410 in FY1999, and 505 in FY2000. Crack cocaine-related federal sentences accounted for over 50 percent of drug-related federal sentences in Virginia each year during the same period. From October 1998 to May 2001, 81 of the 107 Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) investigations initiated in Virginia were powdered or crack cocaine-related, outnumbering all other drug investigations.

Price and purity data for powdered and crack cocaine indicate that both forms are readily available in urban population centers in Virginia. Wholesale and retail prices of powdered and crack cocaine in the state are close to national average prices. According to responses to the NDIC National Drug Threat Survey 2001, wholesale quantities of powdered cocaine ranged from $20,000 per kilogram in Roanoke to $30,000 in Richmond. Powdered cocaine ranged from $800 to $1,000 per ounce in Virginia, and crack sold for approximately $1,000 per ounce in the state. Retail quantities of powdered cocaine ranged from $80 to $100 per gram, and crack sold for $10 to $50 a rock, depending on the weight. Purity levels for wholesale quantities of powdered cocaine ranged from 55 to 87 percent in 2001, and those for retail quantities ranged from 40 to 50 percent. The purity level of crack distributed at all levels in Virginia ranged from 18 to 90 percent in 2000.

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Violence

Crack cocaine is the drug most often associated with violent crime in Virginia, particularly in inner-city neighborhoods and housing projects. Crack abusers often commit violent crimes to support their habits, and crack distributors commonly commit violent crimes to protect their turf. In August 2001 a Roanoke woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison for fatally stabbing her boyfriend with a steak knife. The woman alleged that her boyfriend had abused crack cocaine routinely, had assaulted her, and had stolen money from her to buy more crack. In January 2001 a circuit court judge in Richmond sentenced a South Richmond male to 31 years in prison for shooting and killing an individual who attempted to purchase crack from him in May 2000.

Numerous street gangs distribute cocaine and commit violent crimes such as assaults, drive-by shootings, home invasions, and homicides. According to responses to the NDIC National Gang Survey 2000, the following gangs distribute cocaine and commit violent crimes in the state: Section 8 (Original Gangster), 3000 MOB, 5000 MOB, Park Terrace, Mara Salvatrucha, and Mara Li in Alexandria; South Side Bloods in Bristol; Granville Boyz, Lamberts Point, and West Ocean View Folks in Norfolk; Lincoln Terrace Posse and Villa Heights 1 in Roanoke; Shotgun Crips in Winchester, and 55 Dirtyside and Gangster Disciples in Prince William County, among others.

Production

Coca is not cultivated and cocaine is not produced in Virginia. However, retail distributors commonly convert powdered cocaine into crack in the state on an as-needed basis. Federal, state, and local law enforcement officials arrested five members of a Virginia-based African American criminal group in August 2001 for transporting powdered cocaine from New York City to Hampton and converting the powder into crack. Law enforcement officials report that between 1994 and 2001 the group converted approximately 500 kilograms of powdered cocaine into crack in a rented apartment before distributing the crack in the area.

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Transportation

Colombian and Dominican criminal groups based in New York City and Philadelphia and, to a lesser extent, Mexican criminal groups based in Atlanta and Charlotte are the principal transporters of wholesale quantities of powdered cocaine into Virginia. Sometimes Virginia-based criminal groups and local independent dealers travel to Miami, New York City, Newark, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., to purchase wholesale quantities of powdered cocaine for distribution in Virginia.

Cocaine typically is transported into Virginia in private or rental vehicles on Interstates 95 and 85 and US 13, although commercial aircraft, buses, trains, and express mail services also are used. In August 2001 federal, state, and local law enforcement officials arrested five members of an African American criminal group that allegedly transported kilogram quantities of powdered cocaine from New York City to the Tidewater area concealed in compartments in private vehicles and in luggage aboard commercial aircraft. In May 2000 law enforcement officials under Operation Jetway seized 3 kilograms of cocaine and arrested an individual who had traveled from Newark to Richmond on a commercial flight. The cocaine was concealed in false handmade pockets secured with Velcro inside a carry-on garment bag. In February 2000 Henrico County police arrested five members of a Virginia-based African American criminal group that had transported approximately 1 kilogram of powdered cocaine per month for at least 2 years from New York City to the Richmond-Petersburg area, usually by commercial bus.

Distribution

Colombian and Dominican criminal groups based in New York City and Philadelphia and, to a lesser but increasing extent, Mexican criminal groups based in Atlanta and Charlotte are principal wholesale distributors of powdered cocaine in Virginia. All of these groups supply wholesale quantities of powdered cocaine to retail distributors, who are African American, Caucasian, and Jamaican criminal groups and local independent dealers. Street gangs also distribute retail quantities of powdered cocaine. In August 2000 the Richmond Drug Task Force arrested nine members of a loosely knit Caucasian criminal group for distributing retail quantities of powdered cocaine in Richmond and in nearby Henrico and Hanover Counties.

Wholesale crack distribution usually is limited to multiounce quantities. Virginia-based African American criminal groups, street gangs, and local independent dealers are the principal wholesale and retail distributors of crack cocaine in the state. Dominican and Jamaican criminal groups also distribute crack at the wholesale level in Virginia. Retail distributors typically distribute crack at open-air markets in Virginia and at public housing projects in the Central Virginia and Tidewater areas.

Crack commonly is distributed in the state. In June 2001 a Newport News resident pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute more than 50 kilograms of crack cocaine in Newport News and James City County between 1993 and 2001. In March 2000 the Colonial Narcotics Enforcement Task Force arrested eight members of an African American criminal group from the James City County area. These members allegedly distributed retail quantities of crack cocaine in Newport News and Williamsburg and in James City and New Kent Counties. They accepted personal checks as payment for crack. According to responses to the NDIC National Gang Survey 2000, numerous street gangs distribute crack cocaine including the Section 8 (Original Gangster), 3000 MOB, 5000 MOB, Park Terrace, Mara Salvatrucha, and Mara Li in Alexandria; South Side Bloods in Bristol; Granville Boyz, Lamberts Point, and West Ocean View Folks in Norfolk; Lincoln Terrace Posse and Villa Heights 1 in Roanoke; Shotgun Crips in Winchester; and 55 Dirtyside and Gangster Disciples in Prince William County.

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