Uncle Larry's Revolving Door For Armed Drug Dealers

A gun, ammo & marijuana recovered by police from Vernon Harris

By Ralph Cipriano
for BigTrial.net

If you're looking for an example of an armed drug dealer who keeps going through District Attorney Larry Krasner's revolving door of justice, meet Vernon Harris.

On April 30th, police, using Operation Pinpoint, a computer grid system that isolates hot spots for crime, stopped Harris, 19, of Southwest Philadelphia, and discovered that he was carrying marijuana and a gun. The police charged Harris with carrying unlicensed firearms, intentional possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, and illegally carrying firearms in public.

On Twitter that same day, Capt. Scott Drissel Jr., the commanding officer of the 12th Police District, wrote: "Outstanding work! This particular male, who is only 19 years old, has now been arrested for illegally possessing a firearm 3 times in 14 months, all by 12th District officers."

Yes, the cops keep arresting Vernon Harris, the armed drug dealer. And thanks to the Progressive polices of Uncle Larry over in the D.A.'s office, drug dealers like Harris wind up right back on the street again.

A gun, ammo and marijuana recovered from Vernon Harris

The first time the 12th District cops pulled Harris over, on March 6, 2019, he was charged with carrying firearms without a license, and carrying firearms in public. Both charges were held over for for court.

His bail was set at $50,000, but it was unsecured meaning Harris didn't have to put any money down before he was released that same day.

The second time Harris was arrested was on July 23, 2019, when he was charged with carrying firearms without a license. His bail was initially set at $25,000, meaning he would only have to post 10 percent, or $2,500. But after his preliminary hearing a judge on Aug. 8 modified the bail order to $25,000 in cash. Harris posted bail that same day.

On Sept. 17, 2019, Harris entered a non-negotiated guilty plea to the charge in his second arrest, but, according to court records, he hasn't been sentenced yet.

After he was arrested for the third time, on April 30th, his bail was set at $350,000. On May 1, according to court records, Harris is now being held at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility, awaiting a preliminary hearing.

Harris is one of the 236 gun cases from July of 2019 prosecuted by the D.A.'s office that Big Trial has been tracking to document Krasner's revolving door justice when it comes to gun crimes. Out of the 236 gun cases, as of March 16th, the last day the courts in Philadelphia were open, 66 cases, or nearly 28 percent, had either been dropped, dismissed or lost by the D.A.'s office.

As of March 16th, only 37 defendants, or 15.6%, were found guilty. And all 37 of cases were the result of plea bargains that for the criminals, turned out to be deals just too good to pass up. Because defendants who pleaded guilty to gun crimes under D.A. Krasner typically were either put on probation and walked immediately, or they got deals well below state sentencing guidelines.

In every case, every criminal accused of a gun crime got a break from D.A. Larry Krasner.

Big Trial has previously documented that out of a total of the 236 gun cases from July 2019 that were prosecuted by the D.A.'s office under Krasner, not a single defendant to date has been convicted by a judge or a jury of being guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.

Another one of those gun cases from July of 2019 involved Xavier Veney, 21, of West Philadelphia. He was arrested on July 31, 2019, for carrying firearms without a license and carrying firearms in public.

A month earlier, on June 21, 2019, Veney was arrested for -- you guessed it -- carrying firearms without a license, and carrying firearms in public. The same day he was arrested, bail was set at $25,000 unsecured, meaning he had to sign a bond that said he would owe $25,000 if he failed to appear in court. But Veney didn't have to post any money to gain his freedom.

On July 31, 2019, after his second arrest for gun crimes, and on Aug. 1, bail was set at $25,000. But on Sept. 10, Veney's lawyer made a motion to reduce bail to $5,000, and Veney posted $500, or 10 percent, and got out of jail.

On Sept. 17, 2019, Veney entered into a negotiated guilty plea with the D.A.'s office that called for a concurrent sentence for both sets of gun charges that ran a total of 11 1/2 to 23 months in jail, plus 5 years probation.

It was quite a deal for Veney considering the state guidelines for just one of his crimes, carrying firearms without a license, a third-degree felony, calls for seven years in jail.

On Nov. 19, 2019, after he entered a guilty in both cases, a judge granted a motion to revoke Veney's release and forfeit his bail. Veney served up to eight months in jail, including credit for time previously served, before he was paroled.

And what did Veney do when he got out of jail? He went right back to his life of crime.

On May 13, 2020, the cops arrested Veney a third time. This time the cops chased Veney with carrying firearms without a license, intentional possession of a controlled substance, possession of marijuana, and carrying a firearm during an emergency.

His bail was set of $200,000. As of May 13th, Veney was reported in custody at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility.

A seasoned former prosecutor was left shaking his head after he reviewed court records for Harris and Veney.

"The cops are out to save lives and get guns off the streets in certain communities and Larry Krasner doesn't care because he just keeps putting them right back out there," the seasoned former prosecutor said. "There are no consequences to what the drug dealers are doing."

Meanwhile, gun violence, much of it drug related, continues on a daily basis out on the streets.

For example, on Thursday May 14th:

-- at 11:10 p.m. at 1231 S. 52nd St., a 22 year-old black man was shot.
-- at 1 p.m. 6300 Park Avenue, a unknown black male was found dead wrapped in a blanket.
-- at 2:07 p.m. at 1334 W. Hunting Park, a 51 year-old black man was shot.
-- at 2:14 p.m., at 7049 Frankford Avenue, a 23-year-old black man was shot to death.
-- at 2:44 p.m. at 1631 S. 18th S, a 40 year-old black man was shot.
-- at 6:50 p.m. at 1500 N. 56th St. a 25-year-old black man was stabbed.
-- at 8:39 p.m. at 5926 Alma St., a 38 year-old black man was shot.

On Friday May 15th:

-- at 1:23 p.m. at 5100 Arch, a 25-year-old black male was shot.
-- at 9 p.m. at 4310 Germantown Avenue, four people were shot including a 28 year-old black female, an 18 year-old black female, a 20 year-old black male, and a 39 year-old black male.
-- at 9:55 p.m. at 5135 Ranstead St., a 22 year-old black female was shot.
-- at 10:45 p.m. at 51 Pennway St., a 21 year-old black man was shot.

-- at 11:15 p.m. at 3100 East St., a 30 year-old black man was shot.

-- at 11:56 p.m. at 1900 W. Croskey a 26 year-old black man was stabbed.

On Saturday, May 16th:

-- at 11:14 p.m. at 1050 E. Hunting Park Avenue, a 29 year-old Hispanic man and a 25 year-old Hispanic man were shot.
-- at 12:56 p.m. at 19000 and Venango, a 19 year-old black man was shot.
-- at 3:34 p.m. at 3710 N. 16th St., a 34 year-old black man was shot.
-- at 5:26 p.m. at 713 N. Marvine, a 26 year-old black female was shot.
-- at 8:56 p.m. at 558 Adams Avenue, a 35-yeaer-old black man was shot.

On Sunday, May 17th:

-- at 3:19 a.m. at 4947 Rubicam St., a 30 year-old black man was shot.
-- at 8:16 p.m. at 1900 N. 22nd St. a 40 year-old black man was shot.

On Monday, May 18th:

- at 11:38 p.m. at 4100 Stiles a 22 year-old black male and a 23 year-old white female were shot.
-- at 12:30 p.m. at 3100 E. Street, a 36 year-old white male was shot.
-- at 1:09 p.m. at 310 N. Franklin Street a 28 year-old black male and a 43 year-old black male were shot.

-- at 3:51 p.m. at 2506 N. 18th St., a an 80 year-old black man was shot.

-- at 8:17 p.m. at 613 S. 27th St., a 25 year-old black man was shot.

-- at 9:49 p.m. at 1138 E. Stafford, a 29 year-old black man was shot.

In just five days in Philadelphia, the city of Brotherly Love, 31 people were shot, two were stabbed, and two shooting victims wound up dead.

Meanwhile, the cops are still busy re-arresting drug dealers that Larry Krasner lets out of jail.

On Wednesday, May 20th, at 12:15 p.m., police on patrol noticed William Williams, a known drug dealer, and another man standing on the 1600 block of Orthodox Street, smoking marijuana. The cops gave chase and the suspect was seen dumping a black revolver. Police recovered a .38 revolver with five live rounds, as well as a small bag containing marijuana.

They also arrested Williams, 20, of East Germantown, and charged him with carrying an unlicensed firearm, possession of marijuana, carrying firearms in public, and carrying firearms during an emergency.

Williams had a record. His last arrest was on Oct. 13, 2018 when he was charged with manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver a controlled substance. That same day, his bail was set at $5,000. Two days later, he posted $500 and was out of jail.

Gee, thanks, Uncle Larry!

But after his second arrest, Williams's bail was set at $150,000. He's still in custody at the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility.

What does D.A. Krasner and Jane Roh, his alleged spokesperson, have to say in response to this story? Well the D.A.'s office has been stonewalling this reporter for the past nine months, so I don't expect anything to change.

Sure enough, Stonewall Krasner and Silent Jane did not respond to a request for comment.

According to the D.A.'s Facebook page, "Larry Krasner fights for equal justice for the great people of Philadelphia. A fair and effective criminal justice system makes us safer."

Lawrence Krasner, master of Orwellian doublespeak. As any cop will tell you, just the opposite is true.