Local basketball legend busted in $2M heroin ring
A local basketball legend ​from the 1970s ​has been busted along​ with a dozen others ​in a massive heroin ring, the Brooklyn District A​​ttorney and NYPD announced Thursday.
James “Fly” Williams​ ​​– who played streetball in the Bronx and ​was a standout college player for Austin Peay before a brief stint ​in​ the old ABA​ ​-​​-​ ​and his cohorts allegedly sold some $2 million worth of heroin-filled glassines in the past three months alone, Acting Brooklyn DA Eric Gonzalez said.
The drugs were bought in the Bronx and then sold across Brownsville, Bushwick, Flatbush, and Fort Greene, the top prosecutor said.
Williams, 65, acted as a community advocate and was public about his own battle with addiction, was described by Gonzalez as “a local legend who never made it to the pro-level.”
“That someone with his stature in the community with his influence with young people would run such a narcotics operation is truly sad and reprehensible,” the Acting DA said.”These are the worst kind of drug dealers because they were selling to neighbors and other communities.”
Williams played with some of ​the city’s best ​street-ballers in the ’70s such as World B. Free and Earl “the Goat” Manigault.​
While in college, where he scored more than 50 points in a game multiple times, he inspired one of the all time great chants: “The Fly is Open, Let’s Go Peay!”
He was chosen by Denver in the first round of the 1974 American Basketball Association draft and his rights were eventually sold to the Spirits of St. Louis.​ ​He later played in the Continental Basketball Association and in Israel.
Also charged Thursday were William’s stepson, Jeffrey “Doobie” Britt, and the ring’s administrative assistant, Leezet “Baby Girl” Kelley​ among others​.
Six firearms were also recovered during the course of the investigation.
The 13 defendants were variously charged with operating as a major trafficker in violation of the state’s drug kingpin statut​​e, in addition to first- and third degree criminal sale of a controlled substance and related counts.
Those considered major traffickers, including Williams, face up to 25 years to life in prison.
Authorities say more arrests are expected.