Thomas MacMillan Photo
Mom and a cousin (pictured) showed up at court to vouch for Hill.
Maurice Hill was released into the watchful care of his twin brother and girlfriend, as the federal probe into an alleged New Haven drug ring entered a new phase of courtroom wrangling.
Hill, a 22-year-old from Newhallville known as “Mo Digs,” was one of 37 people charged in a federal drug ring bust last week that police said “dismantled” a violent neighborhood drug gang called R2.
Two of the 37 remained at large as of Monday, after a man nicknamed “Gotti” was arrested on Saturday. The others are going through arraignments and detention hearings.
Hill, who was charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine base, was one of five defendants to show up at U.S. District Court Friday for detention hearings before a judge. The authorities said that he was caught on phone wiretaps complaining about “chalky” “shit” (cocaine) he was given to sell on the streets.
Hill’s mom, Barbara Hill (at left in photo), and cousin Tanesha Hill (at right) showed up with seven other friends and family at the federal courthouse on Church Street before U.S. District Judge Joan Margolis. His family proclaimed his innocence, then scrambled to find a place to house him after his release.
Judge Margolis heard arguments on whether Maurice Hill should be released on bail or held in detention until trial.
Judge Margolis ruled that Hill could be released to his girlfriend’s apartment, with his twin brother providing supervision. He was set free on a $100,000 bond and fitted with an electronic monitoring device.
Hill and 36 others were indicted on 20 counts by a federal grand jury on Nov. 10 as a result of an 11-month investigation by the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and New Haven and Hamden police, among other agencies. Investigators announced they’ve taken down a large drug ring headed by a 34-year-old — nicknamed “Mighty” — who lives on Winchester Avenue. The organization was allegedly based in Newhallville and was selling crack cocaine throughout the greater New Haven area.
According to U.S. Attorney spokesman Tom Carson, 35 of the 37 indicted have been arrested and the rest remained at large.
New Haven Police Chief Frank Limon said the probe took down the leaders of R2, a Read Street gang. Hill’s family disputed that claim.
“They Got The Wrong Dude”
On Friday in federal court, Hill’s family heard for the first time the evidence against him. Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Mattei told the judge that Hill was overheard on a wiretap arranging with Mighty and another conspirator for the pickup of multiple “eight balls” of cocaine.
Before the hearing began, Hill’s relatives offered their own thoughts on what came over the wire. Assembled on two benches outside Courtroom 1 was a group that included Hill’s twin brother, who served the Army in Iraq this summer, and his girlfriend, with whom he was living at the time of his arrest.
Maurice Hill’s supporters described him as a good kid who didn’t do anything wrong. He is in his first year of business course at Gateway Community College, they said. They claimed he’s been tarnished with a group of people he’s not involved with.
“He don’t even know them!” protested his brother, Tyrese Evans. “They tapped one person’s cell phone and made a conspiracy out of it.”
Evans said someone — whose phone was tapped — called Hill looking for a ride. Hill agreed to give the person a lift in exchange for some marijuana, Evans said. “That’s his payment [for the car ride], a toke.”
Evans said that’s all Hill did. “They got the wrong dude, for real.”
A conspiracy charge is essentially guilt by association and thus very hard to disprove, he said. “That’s the one charge you can’t beat.”
Asked if Hill had any connection with R2, his family responded, “Who?” Only cousin Tanesha said she had heard of the gang. She described it as “little kids that are always shooting people.” She said R2 had nothing to do with the arrests. “If it were R2, they’d have a bunch of kids.” (Cops say the younger R2 members worked for the older people arrested in the sweep.)
Hill’s family and friends were called into the courtroom, where Hill was sitting at the defense table wearing a prison-issued short-sleeve V‑neck khaki shirt and matching pants over shiny black basketball shoes.
Defense Attorney Charles Willson stood to argue for Hill to be released on bail. He pointed first to the nine supporters gathered in the gallery. Hill has strong ties to the community and is not a flight risk, he argued.
Willson said Hill has no criminal record, apart from an arrest in August related to a domestic dispute with his girlfriend. That case, which involves burglary and assault charges, is still pending. Hill’s girlfriend said it was not a big deal, just a disagreement that was blown out of proportion.
Hill would like to be released to live with that girlfriend at her apartment on Cherry Ann Street in Hamden, Willson told the judge. Hill is willing to submit to a curfew and electronic monitoring, Willson said.
“I Can’t Sell This Shit”
Prosecutor Mattei, however, made a case for Hill to remain in detention. He read quotes from a wiretap in which he said Hill was recorded coordinating drug deals with Mighty and with “Pook,” another alleged bigshot in the drug ring. September phone calls recorded Hill ordering one or two eight balls, he said. An Oct. 9 phone call intercepted Hill talking with Pook, and allegedly complaining about the drugs he’d been given to distribute.
“It ain’t right, man. It’s chalky. It ain’t right,” Hill said on the tape, according to Mattei.
Hill complained further about the drug quality in a later call, Mattei said: “It ain’t right. I can’t sell this shit, man,” Hill allegedly said.
Police also observed Hill meeting with Mighty and Pook after arranging deals with them, according to Mattei.
In arguing for Hill’s detention, Mattei also pointed to Hill’s August arrest. Just a couple of weeks after Hill was hit with a felony burglary charge, he was picked up on the wire making deals, Mattei said.
“Mr. Hill apparently hadn’t gotten the message,” he said. He has no respect for the system, Mattei said.
An “Appropriate” Home
Judge Margolis expressed concern that Hill was planning to continue living with his girlfriend if he’s released. That’s where he was when his “life seemed to spin out of control this summer,” she said. She called for a recess to see if a “more appropriate” place for him to stay could be found.
That’s when several hours of back-room conferences and bench-side negotiations began. Willson suggested Hill could live with his mom on Valley Street. Mattei rejected that because his mom is a convicted felon.
Barbara Hill said her most recent conviction is from 1986. “[Maurice] wasn’t even born yet.”
Barbara’s sister offered to take Hill in. The prosecution rejected that as well.
His friend James Woods was the next to volunteer. But his Munson Street home was deemed too close to the site of Hill’s alleged drug dealings.
Finally, after 2 p.m., Judge Margolis agreed to release Hill to live with his girlfriend, if his twin brother agreed to move in with them.
Outside the courtroom Hill’s brother and girlfriend chuckled about the arrangement, and argued over who would get to sleep in the apartment’s single bedroom.