Four Kalamazoo men who police say hatched a plan to buy more than $22,000 worth of cocaine at a Texas Township hotel are now facing federal drug conspiracy charges.

 

A criminal complaint filed May 4 in U.S. District Court in Grand Rapids charges Andres P. Barajas, Christopher J. Jones, Christopher A. Caper and Steve Leroy-Robert White each with conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute 500 grams or more of cocaine.

Jones also is charged with one count of firearm possession in the furtherance of drug trafficking.

An affidavit filed by a U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration agent in support of the criminal complaint says the four men “agreed with each other to attempt to purchase 22.5 ounces … of cocaine” from a dealer who was cooperating with police.

Courtesy PhotoChristopher Caper

Jones and the dealer met with each other twice in the month leading up to the May 3 arrest of Jones, Barajas, Caper and White at the Hampton Inn in the 5000 block of South Ninth Street, according to the affidavit.

The affidavit says Jones and the dealer first met in April and Jones told the dealer that his former cocaine supplier had been arrested recently and he “needed a new source.”

Jones told the dealer he and his brother, who police later determined was Barajas, routinely bought cocaine together in 500-gram quantities and wanted to make regular purchases from the dealer “on an ongoing basis going forward.”

Courtesy PhotoChristopher Jones

When Jones and the dealer met for a second time in April, Jones told the dealer he and Barajas wanted to purchase a total of nine ounces of cocaine at a price of $9,000 and an agreement was made to meet May 3, according to the affidavit.

On May 3, Jones and the dealer exchanged “numerous phone calls and text messages” and Jones informed the dealer he, Barajas and two other men would be purchasing cocaine from him and requested a total of 22.5 ounces of the drug.

Jones later arrived at the Hampton Inn with Barajas, White and Caper and Jones met the dealer in a room at the hotel. According to the affidavit, Jones purchased a sample amount of cocaine from the dealer and then left the room to show the sample to the other three men, who were waiting outside in vehicles.

Courtesy PhotoSteve Leroy-Robert White

The affidavit says Jones was arrested in a hallway of the hotel after leaving the dealer’s room and a loaded .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol was found in his waistband.

Officers also arrested Barajas, Caper and White. Caper was found in possession of a digitial scale with suspected cocaine residue on it and officers also found $9,900 in the glove box of his vehicle, according to the affidavit.

All four men made their first appearance in federal court this week on charges in the case and are currently in the custody of the U.S. Marshal’s Service, according to court documents.