By Ivan Pereira
Chanel Watson, 37, of 88-35 164th St., her husband Victor Watson, 40, two tenants and two other people were arrested on March 26 and indicted on various charges, including criminal sale of a controlled substance and criminal possession of a weapon. A police investigation revealed the group had more than 60 bags of cocaine and 119 glassine envelopes of heroin that were set to be sold on the streets, DA Richard Brown said.”These arrests underscore law enforcement's collective commitment to ridding the streets of illegal drug activity,” Brown said in a statement.The investigation began last week when an undercover officer met one of the arrested people, Dockery Noble, 29, and arranged to buy coke from him, according to the DA. Noble led the officer to the apartment where tenant Timothy Burgess, 25, allegedly sold Noble the contraband.Officers immediately arrested Noble and waited for Burgess to come out of the apartment and arrested him, the DA said. While placing him in handcuffs, the officers looked through the door and noticed Victor Watson, tenant Manuel Aquila, 42, and Robert Resse, 39, of 163-16 89th Ave., sitting around a table allegedly packaging numerous bags of cocaine, Brown said.The three were arrested minutes later. Police apprehended Chanel Watson, who the DA said worked as a school safety officer, as she was returning home.”Perhaps most disheartening is that a veteran school safety officer is accused of not only being involved in such activity but using her own home from which to engage in that activity,” Brown said.Officers uncovered dozens of drug packages, some of which were stamped “Star Wars,” from the apartment's bedroom and kitchen. They also found a defaced 9mm pistol and a loaded revolver from a closet in the master bedroom, according to the DA.The six suspects were arraigned in Queens Criminal Court on Friday on various charges.All but Noble were charged with third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. The Watsons, Aquila and Burgess were charged with criminal possession of a weapon and criminally using drug paraphernalia, Brown said. Noble and Burgess were also charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance.Chanel Watson, her husband, Burgess and Dockery were held on $25,000 bail. Aquila and Resse were held on $10,000 bail, according to a spokeswoman for the DA's office.If convicted, each person faces up to nine years in prison, Brown said. Their next court date is April 11.Reach reporter Ivan Pereira by e-mail at ipereira@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300, Ext. 146.
