
                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, March 16, 1990                   TAG: 9003162127
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: B-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: 
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short

HAITIAN CONVICTED ON CRACK CHARGE

A Haitian man who complained that his native appearance led officials to target him during a drug raid has been convicted of possessing crack cocaine.

Maurice "Dread" Perez - nicknamed for his dreadlock hairstyle - was convicted Wednesday night by a jury in U.S. District Court in Roanoke.

Perez, 27, has testified that he was approached by authorities during Operation Caribbean Sunset - a crack eradication effort so named because of its focus on Jamaican and Haitian drug dealers - solely because of his hairstyle, multicolored Ethiopian T-shirt and hat.

A judge ruled earlier that the stop did not violate Perez's constitutional rights.

Testimony during the trial showed that agents with the Immigration and Naturalization Service approached Perez and asked him about his citizenship, Assistant U.S. Attorney Joe Mott said.

During questioning, officials noticed the corner of a plastic bag protruding from Perez's pants pocket. The bag contained more than 100 rocks of crack cocaine - about 60 grams. Police also found more than $2,000 in cash that Perez was carrying.

Perez will be sentenced later, and faces a mandatory minimum term of 20 years in prison, Mott said.

by CNB