June 18, 1999

Youth Counselor Indicted as Gang Member in Three Slayings

By ANDREW JACOBS

A counselor for troubled youths in Dobbs Ferry, N.Y. -- who the authorities say killed at least three people while running a lucrative drug-dealing business in upper Manhattan -- was among 12 people indicted Thursday on Federal charges of racketeering, drug-dealing and murder, officials said.

The man, Irving Mason, 30, was arrested yesterday on charges that he killed the men, rival drug dealers, in an effort to solidify his crack-selling enterprise, known as the 148th Street Organization, prosecutors said.

Authorities charged that the gang, which has been selling drugs since at least the late 1980's, insured their success by robbing, beating and killing those dealers who infringed on their territory.

The investigation into the gang began in 1994 and was a joint effort by the United States Attorney, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the New York State Police and the New York City Police Department.

Prosecutors had previously indicted 25 members of the gang, which operated largely in Harlem and Washington Heights.

Six of those indicted Thursday were arrested on Wednesday, one was already in custody and four are still fugitives, officials said.

Under the charges, all 12 men could face life in prison without chance for parole if convicted.

When he wasn't running his drug-selling business, Mason, also known as Spidey, counseled teen-agers at Children's Village, a home for troubled youths in Westchester County, according to the indictment.

Linda Stutz, a vice president at Children's Village, said that Mason worked as a counselor there, but said she was not personally familiar with him. She said the agency's hiring process is stringent. "Our pre-employment program is extremely rigorous, and includes drug testing, fingerprints and a comprehensive background check," she said.

Law enforcement officials would not say last night whether Mason had a previous arrest record.

As part of his job, Mason supervised children at one of the program's 22 cottages that house its 315 residents. Ms. Stutz said that Mason did not live with the boys and that he never worked alone. His duties included helping them with chores, cooking and other aspects of daily life. Ms. Stutz said many residents are foster children who have severe behavioral and emotional problems. "To be a good cottage supervisor, hopefully you're a good role model," she said. "We would not have hired him if we did not think he was."

Investigators said that Mason is charged with murdering Anisha Boylan in Morningside Heights in April 1990; Marlon Sterling Dodson, at 144th Street and Seventh Avenue in December 1992; and Juan Tavares, in July 1992. Investigators said that all three men were drug dealers who had somehow meddled in the gang's drug-dealing operation.

The prosecutions are part of a growing effort by the Government to fight street gangs with Federal racketeering laws that were originally created to combat the Mafia.

Others indicted yesterday included: Charles Williams, Christopher Kittrell, Aldo Mitchell, Javier Nunez, Lawrence Campfield, Jensey Ortiz, Kelvin Mariner, Rafael DeJesus, Mario Rodriguez and Rudy Ventura.