BINGHAMTON – Federal search warrants were executed in the Binghamton area on Wednesday, and some of the arrested individuals are currently being housed at the Chenango County Correctional Facility (CCCF) in Norwich.

According to a release from the United State’s Attorney’s Office, 14 members of the Bloods street gang known as the “MacBallers” were charged by way of a criminal complaint in federal court for engaging in a drug trafficking conspiracy.

Federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies were involved in the arrests. Authorities with the Chenango Sheriff’s Office said they were not one of the involved agencies in the investigation, but they are housing some of those arrested. It is not uncommon for the CCCF to hold individuals charged with crimes in other areas.

The felony complaint charges that “starting in September 2009 and continuing up to the present, members and associates of the MacBallers set of the Bloods street gang operated in Binghamton, NY and were responsible for distributing large quantities of controlled substances.” The substances involved include crack and powder cocaine, heroin, and marijuana. The complaint additionally alleges that members of the MacBallers used rental vehicles and rental apartments to facilitate the drug trafficking conspiracy in order to cook, package, store and transport the substances, and the members used prepaid cell phones to contact customers and gang associates. It also alleges the members used firearms including handguns to commit assaults and shootings and to threaten others. This is all alleged to have taken place in the Greater Binghamton and surrounding area.

Those housed currently at the CCCF include:

• Derek Carr, 29, Brooklyn. Carr goes by the alias of “Jinx” and according to the complaint, is believed to have supplied others with controlled substances including cocaine and heroin, and has communicated with other “MacBallers” regarding the cooking, packaging, acquisition and distribution of both crack and heroin.