Cocaine-Peddling Troublemaker Arrested At Occupy Wall Street

In this stock photo, a young man contemplates a snow job Shutterstock/newphotoservice

We already knew that theNYPD was watching out for cokeheads around Zuccotti Park ever since Occupy Wall Street took up residency there. But last night, it seems things got a little out of control when one teen went around trying to sell baggies of coke to protesters—and ended up allegedly punching three protesters, including two women.

Cops arrested 19-year-old Brooklyn resident Garfield Leslie last night, and charged him with felony assault, misdemeanor assault and drug possession. Witnesses say that Garfield was wandering around the park around 8 p.m. trying to sell small baggies of coke to people in different tents. According to the Post, Leslie punched a woman several times, then fought with a man who intervened. When another woman tried to stop the fighting, Leslie allegedly hit her so hard in the chest she fell to the ground and injured her wrist.

The protesters found cops and told them what happened; they allegedly caught Leslie soon after still in the park, still trying to sell his baggies of coke. Leslie was arrested four other times this summer, most of which were for coke-related offenses: one time for selling narcotics on a platform inside the West 4th Street subway station; another time he cursed out a police officer who then found marijuana pipes and 38 baggies of cocaine on him; Four day later, he was handcuffed again after cops found him allegedly passed out on milk crates in Union Square; and cops found more coke on him when he was busted for illegally passing between subway cars.

Suffice to say, if we were him, we might be a bit worried about our skin.

Contact the author of this article or email tips@gothamist.com with further questions, comments or tips.

By Ben Yakas in News on October 23, 2011 2:55 PM

Comments [rss]

chee1rs

If you keep the drug sellers down at Zuccotti Park , they'll earn their way out of the 99%

Heatherbk

He should have targeted the other side of wall street, the guys wearing the suits.

scallywag

Never mind it’ll only be another 28 minutes before Leslie is out and about hitting his beat and providing his valuable ritual of getting you your daily fix. Such are the problematic obstacles of budding cocaine dealers.
http://scallywagandvagabond.co...

Azel Hill Beckner

Everyone should no the basics of being arrested and not talking. They should also know how to move for dismissal due to lack of prima facie evidence. Prima Facie is 1.proof the crime was committed. 2.proof you were at the scene. 3. Proof you committed the crime. 4. Proof that you had criminal intent to commit a crime when the event took place.

randomtransplant

The people in the park don't want crime, the police help keep crime out.

Its a start.

Daniel

You people want to talk about how the system is really rigged, take a good look at this kid. Arrested four separate times for possession with intent to sell and he's walking around, less than several months later, free continuing to sell and assaulting women? His family must have some lawyer on retainer earning every penny his rich, connected , parents sink into his fees.

Colonel_Ingus

You make a lot of assumptions. There's plenty of poor parts of Brooklyn.

Daniel

That's exactly what I mean, Brooklyn is a large place and not a mention of his neighborhood or a picture of his face. That ever happen with any other drug suspect arrested in a high profile area? Besides that, please explain to me then how someone arrested previously with 38 bags of coke isn't serving a mandatory sentence for intent to distribute. A judge didn't even have mercy on those Columbia students.

Remingtton

he should run for office

LICnative

I guess there's no room at the inn. The jails are probably full of those mythical marijuana smokers and illegal aliens. They turned away a pistol packing unicorn just the other day.

Robin McClary

Arrested four times for drugs since summer? Why can't he stay in?

AaronRed99

I thought that's why they marched up to Washington Square every week.

nomadnewyork

He sounds like a genius.

Dan Smith

His name is Garfield Leslie....if that was my name I'd be doing more than just coke.

michelalano

So wait, why was he on the street again 4 days after he was caught with 38 baggies?

Daniel

Poor people pay for their crimes, rich people have lawyers who get them off or reduce charges and know enough not to talk until the lawyer shows up. It's an important chapter of Rich Dad, Poor Dad.

Guest

Ask the judge.

Inkognita

Or maybe the Grand Jury?

Based on my own experience as a juror, I saw several people who almost certainly deserved to be indicted but were let off because the grand jury preferred to believe that these defendants were more credible than the cops. It's sad, especially since the same defendants are then put back into the community to re-offend, but such is the public's low opinion of the NYPD.