Holy Rollers

To keep X-craved Miami Beach raving, Hasidic teenagers smuggled in pills by the hundreds of thousands

A A A Comments (1) By Ted B. Kissell Thursday, Sep 30 1999

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On the Beach itself, the upsurge has been even more acute. "We didn't really start making arrests with [Ecstasy] until the last year, year and a half," says Sgt. David Young of the Miami Beach Police Department's narcotics unit. "We've made what we consider some really big arrests, involving up to 10,000 pills. It's now become so common here, we're running into dealers almost weekly." Although Beach cops hadn't "run into" the Miami Beach middlemen of Erez's alleged operation, Young confirms that the elephant, Superman, and yin-yang imprints of Ecstasy pills the group are accused of trafficking were -- and still are -- commonly found in Beach nightclubs.

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Joelwachswarhol 04/05/2011 4:35:00 PM

Erez hired Nicholas Gravante to represent him. Nicholas Gravante is the lawyer for choice for members of the Gambino mob family and Joel Wachs of the Andy Warhol Foundation and Warhol Art Authentication Board. Nicholas Gravante doesnt seem to find anything wrong wiht Mr. Erez's behaviour, saying, Mr. Erez' his client, will plead not guilty when he is arraigned on the charges. And he questioned the fairness of the process that will see his client face trial in a country that punishes drug offenders so harshly. "What he is alleged to have done is something that he would get a slap on the wrist for in Holland," said Mr. Gravante. "Instead he has been extradited to a country he has no connection with. "This is an offence that he would get a year for in Holland. Ecstasy is practically legal there," he added. "Here we're talking about serious charges that carry potential jail terms of 20-plus years." Mr. Gravante said his client has had contact with Canadian officials during his time in jail in the Netherlands, but he would not say if Mr. Erez has asked Ottawa to intervene on his behalf.