Opinion ID: 198984
Heading Depth: 2
Heading Rank: 4

Heading: The Rosario-Rodriguez Brothers

Text: 18 The Rosario-Rodriguez brothers, Richard, Edwin, and Luis, controlled a drug distribution point at the Davila housing project outside of Building 17. By mid-1991, the brothers were selling Santiago-Lugo's heroin. In August 1991, Santiago-Lugo granted the Rosario brothers exclusive distribution rights for his cocaine at Davila. 19 Ramos-Rodriguez testified that Edwin Rosario-Rodriguez controlled the crack cocaine distribution at Davila and was responsible for getting heroin to the street dealers. He further stated that during this time he saw Edwin Rosario-Rodriguez in possession of a firearm at Davila. Similarly, Hidalgo-Melendez testified that Edwin Rosario-Rodriguez went to Rosa Morales-Santiago's apartment to pick up drugs, and identified numerous drug transactions in the drug ledgers under Edwin's nickname Indio. 20 By 1992, however, Edwin Rosario-Rodriguez' ability to run the drug point was in question, and Santiago-Lugo removed him from his position as a point owner. Nevertheless, the Rosarios were still allowed to sell packages of heroin and cocaine. Hidalgo-Melendez testified that the agreement between Santiago-Lugo and the Rosario brothers continued until February 28, 1993, when the Rosario brothers murdered Richard Munoz-Candelaria. 21 The prosecution also offered evidence of the following incident involving Edwin Rosario-Rodriguez. On July 3, 1992, a police officer witnessed Edwin Rosario-Rodriguez holding a Calico pistol in the Davila housing project. The officer followed him into Building 17. Edwin Rosario-Rodriguez discarded the weapon by the entrance, and the officer seized it. In the stairway, the officer also seized a white bag that had been carried by a second individual that contained transparent plastic vials commonly used to package crack cocaine. The bag field-tested positive for cocaine. Edwin Rosario-Rodriguez ran into an apartment with a metal door (the other apartments on the floor had wooden doors), and the officer heard the toilet flushing. The officer entered the apartment by using a balcony and later seized over $1,000 in cash.