Alleged drug lord to face charges

New York (CNN) — Alleged drug kingpin Christopher “Dudus” Coke, who was extradited to the United States from Jamaica, pleaded not guilty to drug and weapons charges in a New York courtroom Friday.

He entered a full courtroom at 2:03 p.m. and acknowledged his few family members present with a nod. The judge greeted him with “Good afternoon, Mr. Coke,” to which the seemingly calm Coke didn’t respond. After entering his plea, Coke stood and answered “yes sir” to every question regarding understanding his indictments.

The court-assigned attorney told the judge he has not been permanently assigned to case because the Coke family hired attorneys Frank Doddato and Steven Rosen. Doddato is the lead attorney.

Coke was extradited Thursday, two days after he was taken into custody in Jamaica and several hours after he had waived his right to an extradition hearing there. Coke arrived at White Plains-Westchester County Airport outside New York City around 7 p.m.

Armed Drug Enforcement Administration agents and U.S. marshals escorted him to a waiting SUV. Coke was dressed in a blue shirt and black pants with his hands cuffed behind his back. He appeared subdued, a smirk on his face.

“I love the people of Jamaica,” he said in response to a question from a Jamaican reporter.

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Coke, 40, said in a statement that he decided to waive his right to an extradition hearing of his own free will, and did so “even though I am of the belief that my case would have been successfully argued in the courts of Jamaica.”

According to a superseding indictment filed in Manhattan federal court, Coke has led a criminal organization known as the “Shower Posse” since the early 1990s, with members in the United States, Jamaica and other countries.

“At Coke’s direction and under his protection, members of his criminal organization sold marijuana and crack cocaine in the New York area and elsewhere, and sent the narcotics proceeds back to Coke and his co-conspirators,” the U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York said in a news release.

“Coke and his co-conspirators also armed their organization with illegally trafficked firearms,” the release said.

Coke is charged with conspiracy to distribute cocaine and marijuana and conspiracy to illegally traffic in firearms. If convicted on the narcotics charge, he would face a maximum sentence of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, as well as a fine of up to $4 million.

He would face a maximum sentence of five years in prison on the firearms trafficking charge and a fine of up to $250,000.

Coke was arrested on Tuesday when Jamaican police recognized him at a checkpoint.

Last month’s failed attempt to arrest Coke sparked four days of gun battles between security forces and his supporters in Kingston that left 76 people dead.

Coke, who is also known as “President,” “Shortman” and “General,” said he was “deeply upset and saddened by the unnecessary loss of lives” and said the deaths “could have been avoided.”

“Everyone, the whole country, has been adversely affected by the process that has surrounded my extradition and I hope that my action today will go some way towards healing all who have suffered and will be of benefit to the community of Tivoli Gardens,” a neighborhood where violence erupted, he said Thursday.

The death toll in Jamaica reached 76 during attempts to arrest suspected drug kingpin Christopher Coke.

Kingston, Jamaica (CNN) — Alleged druglord Christopher “Dudus” Coke was arrested Tuesday outside Kingston, Jamaica, police said.

The arrest occurred just outside the capital city at about 4 p.m. (5 p.m. ET), said Commissioner Owen Ellington.

He told reporters that police acting on intelligence picked up Coke, 41, and took him to the Spanish Town Police Station in St. Catherine. From there, he was taken via helicopter to Kingston, Ellington said.

Police will be taking “every step possible to ensure his safety and well-being whilst he is in our custody,” Ellington said. He asked the public to remain calm and said security forces were on high alert.

The police high command was meeting Tuesday night with the police director of public prosecution to begin the process of extradition to the United States as soon as possible, Ellington said.

“The legal proceedings will commence immediately. Once we are able to settle on the issue of legal representation and reach an agreement with the director of public prosecutions on where the hearings will be held, a court date will be set, and we anticipate that we can achieve that within 48 hours,” Ellington said.

Coke, who is wanted in the United States on gun and drug-trafficking charges, was en route to the U.S. Embassy in Kingston accompanied by the Rev. Al MIller when Jamaican police recognized him at a checkpoint and took him into custody, the minister told a reporter for Radio Jamaica.

Ellington called for Miller to contact police “because we have an interest in interviewing him.”

A failed attempt to arrest Coke last month resulted in four days of gun battles between security forces and his supporters that left 76 people dead.

Coke was charged last year in U.S. federal court with conspiracy to distribute marijuana and cocaine and with conspiracy to illegally traffic in firearms.

He maintained a heroic reputation in the Kingston slums, with some people comparing him to Robin Hood, Jesus and one-time Colombian kingpin Pablo Escobar.

His popularity stemmed from his community efforts, including handing out food, sending children to school and building medical centers.

But drug enforcement officials say he deserves to be classified as one of the world’s most dangerous drug lords.

“He is the head of an organization, a cartel, or a syndicate that has a global impact and also has a direct impact on the United States,” said Michael Braun, a former chief of operations for the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.

Coke was charged in August 2009 by the U.S. attorney’s office in New York, which accused him of leading an international criminal syndicate known as the “Shower Posse.”

Journalist Kirk Abrahams contributed to this story from Kingston.