Authorities Arrest Suspected Crack Dealing Gang Members

Updated 5:00 PM PST, Thu, Jul 9, 2009

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Members of two Venice street gangs suspected of cocaine trafficking were arrested Thursday by federal agents.

Prosecutors allege that members of the Venice Shoreline Crips and Venice-13 gangs are among the top suppliers of crack to users on the Westside of Los Angeles.

According to federal indictments unsealed Thursday, nine members of the Shoreline Crips and one member of Venice-13 are charged in U.S. District Court with conspiracy to distribute crack, among other crimes.

Ten other alleged gang associates, including juveniles, are named in state charges filed in Superior Court in Los Angeles for their apparent role in the drug ring, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

The joint federal and city investigation was launched last year to crack down on drug and gang crime in Santa Monica, Venice, Culver City and Inglewood, prosecutors said.

Arrests were made South and West Los Angeles, as well as Santa Monica and Inglewood, authorities said.

Those named in the federal indictments include:

-- Stefan Denser, 42, of Los Angeles, arrested this morning;

-- Dewayne Donelson, 55, of Los Angeles, arrested this morning;

-- Christopher Featherstone, 52, of Inglewood, arrested this morning;

-- Geronimo Hernandez, 24, of Los Angeles, arrested this morning;

-- Johnny Hunter, 47, previously in custody;

-- Javier Ramon Cardenas-Perez, 26, previously in custody;

-- Torrey Rodriguez, 37, of Santa Monica, arrested this morning;

-- Amey Storm, 47, of Santa Monica, arrested this morning; and

-- Damon Williams of Culver City, no age given, previously in custody.

All federal defendants are expected to face a U.S. Magistrate Judge this afternoon in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles for detention hearings.