Albany Detectives Respond to Community Concerns About Quality of Life Issues and Drug Sales at South Pearl Street Store

Albany, NY

ALBANY, NY – Albany detectives took three individuals into custody Thursday evening on South Pearl Street who were in possession of two loaded handguns and narcotics, including cocaine and fentanyl.

On Thursday, September 9, 2021 at approximately 6:30 p.m., detectives from the Albany Police Department’s Community Response Unit, executed a search warrant at D-Town Mini Mart, located at 117 South Pearl Street, as part of an ongoing investigation which originated from multiple complaints from residents about drug sales at the store and overall neighborhood quality of life concerns.

During the search warrant, Jeffrey Johnson, 35, of Albany, was found to be in possession of a loaded 9mm handgun which he had concealed in his waistband. Johnson also had 24.7 grams of crack cocaine in his shirt pocket. The recovered handgun was reported stolen out of Marshville, New York on February 14, 2021. Several items commonly used to weigh, package and distribute narcotics were also recovered.

Johnson has been charged with the following:

Criminal Possession of a Weapon 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd
Criminal Possession of Stolen Property 4th
Two counts of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd
Criminal Use of Drug Paraphernalia 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 7th

In addition, detectives executed a search warrant at an apartment above the store where 32-year- old Dawood Almawri was found to be in possession of a loaded. 380 caliber handgun. Detectives also recovered 123 grams of crack cocaine and 119 grams of fentanyl inside Almawri’s apartment.

Almawri was charged with the following:

Criminal Possession of a Weapon 4th
Criminal Possession of a Weapon 3rd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 2nd
Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd
Two counts of Criminal Use of Drug Paraphernalia 2nd

Jamal Wilson, 48, of Albany, was located by detectives inside the stairwell of the building and also taken into custody. He was found to be in possession of 11 grams of fentanyl which he had concealed in his clothing.

Wilson was charged with one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 3rd and one count of Criminal Possession of a Controlled Substance 4th.

All three men were arraigned this morning in Albany Criminal Court and remanded to the Albany County Jail.