4 plead guilty to cocaine conspiracy

Four co-defendants of onetime Philly hip-hop kingmaker Omar Teagle pleaded guilty this week to conspiracy to distribute 210 kilograms of Mexican cocaine - worth up to $40 million in street sales - from New York to Maryland.

In separate hearings yesterday, Ramon Alburg, of Crofton, Md., and Donnell Ball, 34, and George Rodgers, 36, both of Philadelphia, entered guilty pleas before U.S. District Judge R. Barkley Surrick - as did Raoul Alburg, of Somerset, N.J., on Monday.

Only Teagle, 34, who operated a South Street-area recording studio and hip-hop clothing store, and co-defendant Roland Alburg, 37, are left to face the music.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Curtis Douglas said that Teagle, a West Philadelphia native now living in Townsend, Del., is expected to plead guilty to the same charges in mid-December after his New York attorney finishes an unrelated trial.

And on Nov. 29, Roland Alburg, of Holtsville, N.Y., is also expected to enter a guilty plea to federal drug charges, said Douglas.

Roland and Ramon Alburg are brothers, and Raoul Alburg is their cousin.

All six face up to life in prison and multimillion-dollar fines.

Two others, who assisted in transporting the cocaine from Los Angeles to Somerset N.J., pleaded guilty to related state charges in New York.

Assistant U.S. Attorney Leo Tsao outlined each defendant's role in the high-level drug conspiracy:

In November 2005, Teagle, Ball, Rodgers and the three Alburgs allegedly decided to purchase Mexican cocaine from a California supplier.

Roland Alburg allegedly put up $1 million, and Ramon Alburg $1.5 million, for a total of $2.5 million in proceeds from prior drug transactions, said Tsao.

During his plea, Raoul Alburg admitted that he delivered the $2.5 million during several trips to Ball and Rodgers.

With defense attorney David Mischak beside him, Ball admitted that he gave the money to an unnamed person, who traveled with Raoul Alburg from Philadelphia to Los Angeles on March 24, 2006.

Meantime, Ball admitted, he flew to L.A., where he helped Alburg load 210 kilos of cocaine into the back of a trailer attached to a recreational vehicle.

Then, Raoul Alburg admitted that he and two associates drove the cocaine shipment cross-country to his Somerset, N.J., home on March 28, 2006, where his cousin, Roland Alburg, allegedly picked up 55 kilos the next day and headed back to New York.

The remaining 155 kilos were allegedly to be divided among Raoul, Ramon and Teagle.

After monitoring calls during the cross-country trip, authorities from federal, state and local law-enforcement agencies in four states fanned out to arrest the eight on March 29.

Authorities seized the 155 kilos in Somerset, N.J., and the 55 kilos in New York.

In a Colorado Street house in South Philadelphia where Rodgers lives with his mother, search teams found six cocaine parcels: 85 grams of crack cocaine, 183 grams of cocaine, 146 grams of cocaine in the living room, 10 grams on the dining room table and two bags - 35 grams and 74 grams - under a white bucket outside the back door.

Also found were five high-powered handguns, scales and the furniture in which the cocaine was hidden during the cross-country trip.

During his guilty plea, Rodgers admitted that the parcels of cocaine and guns were his. The judge granted attorney Gregory Pagano's request to reserve the right to appeal two motions as part of Rodger's plea agreement.

Rodgers pleaded guilty to possession with intent to distribute cocaine base, possession with intent to deliver 183.7 grams of cocaine, possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.

During Ball's plea, he also admitted to money laundering as part of his agreement to cooperate with authorities.

Rodgers is not cooperating with the feds.

The investigation is continuing.*