“Breadwinner of Coatesville” busted on drug charges

Bragging about the scope of his Chester County-based crack-cocaine operation, a Delaware County man allegedly dubbed himself "the bread winner of Coatesville," authorities said this morning.

That boast prompted a state Attorney General's probe called "Operation Bread Winner," which focused on the acitivities of Lester Womack, 33, of Darby, one of more than a dozen people charged Tuesday with multiple drug offenses.

At a news conference, state Attorney General Linda Kelly said Womack took pride in the fact that his $100,000 a month operation sold "more drugs in Coatesville than any other dealer because of the high quality of his cocaine."

Womack and his associates allegedly cooked, prepared and distributed approximately two kilos of cocaine per week, selling the crack cocaine in $20 bags using sales houses located on East Pennsylvania Avenue, Sixth Street and Coates Avenue in Coatesville, officials said.

"This was a well-organized distribution network that was focused on generating and protecting substantial drug profits," Kelly said. "These cocaine sales houses were closely supervised by Womack's associates, were fortified and protected by firearms and used local juveniles as look-outs and 'runners' to deliver drugs."

Kelly said that intercepted telephone calls and surveillance determined that Womack's operation allegedly sold 200 to 500 of the $20 bags of cocaine per day.

Womack's alleged drug operation had been the target of an earlier narcotics investigation by the Attorney General's Office, Kelly said, adding that the suspected drug trafficking ceased when Womack was jailed on unrelated criminal charges in Philadelphia in 2008. After being paroled in May 2011, Womack allegedly returned to Coatesville and reestablished his cocaine distribution organization, she said.

In addition to Womack, the following defendants were charged: Ronald Vann Jr., of Philadelphia; Clifford Hopkins, of Philadelphia; Ackalith Mee Kotanone, of Folcroft; Marcus A. Womack, of Philadelphia; Frank Carr, of Coatesville; Keesa Brown (address unknown); Yusef George, of Philadelphia; Stephan Jones, of Philadelphia; Desmare Shelton, of Coatesville; Tyrone Armstrong, of Philadelphia; Elzenia N. Harris, of Coatesville; Diane Harris, of West Chester; Eric Franklin, of Coatesville; Davon Coleman, of Philadelphia; Paris Roberts, of Philadelphia; and three females who are not being identified because they are juveniles.

The defendants will be prosecuted in Delaware County Court by Deputy Attorney General Andrew M. Rongaus of the Attorney General's Drug Strike Force Section.