U.S. Attorney Jay Clayton announced that 12 men have been arrested for selling drugs at a NYCHA development in East Harlem — the latest example of one of the most prestigious U.S. attorney’s offices in the country targeting street-level drug dealers.
Clayton said Wednesday the arrests at the James Weldon Johnson Houses are part of a broader federal effort to crack down on violent crime in public housing — and he made a pointed critique of New York’s criminal justice system.
“One of the greatest drivers of public safety is the continuous custody of a criminal with federal charges,” Clayton said. “If we are able to prove those charges, we have not only continuous custody, but we have them off the streets longer.”…