| Michael Christopher Coke | |
|---|---|
| Born | 13 March 1969 Tivoli Gardens, Kingston, Jamaica |
| Alias(es) | Dudus, Paul Christopher Scott, Presi, President, General, Shortman, Omar Clark[1] |
| Status | awaiting sentencing |
| Occupation | Head of the Shower Posse |
| Parents | Lester Lloyd Coke, aka Jim Brown, Father, & Patricia 'Miss Patsy' Halliburton, Mother b.September 1946 D.August 21 2011 64yrs. |
Michael Christopher Coke (born 13 March 1969),[2] also known as Dudus,[3] is a Jamaican drug lord and the leader of the Shower Posse gang. He is the youngest son of drug lord Lester Lloyd Coke whose extradition had also–prior to his 1992 death in a Jamaican prison cell–been requested by the US.[3] Until the younger Coke's hand over to US forces on 24 June 2010, "Dudus" served as the de facto leader of Tivoli Gardens in the city of Kingston;[3] prior to his 2010 capture Jamaican police were unable to enter this neighborhood without community consent.[3]
The son of a prominent drug lord, Coke grew up wealthy, going to school with children of the country's political elite. Ruling the gang where his father left off, he became a leader in the community of Tivoli Gardens, distributing money to the area's poor, creating employment and setting up community centers.[4]
In 2009 the United States began requesting his extradition, and in May 2010 a recalcitrant Government of Jamaica issued a warrant.[3] That same month the government took steps to capture Coke. In a run-up to Coke's arrest, more than 70 people–security forces and civilians–died in a 24 May 2010 raid of the Kingston neighborhood he was associated with.[3] He was picked up at a Jamaican checkpoint on 22 June 2010.[3]
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In 2009 the United States began asking for the extradition of Coke from his native Jamaica.[5][6]
Bruce Golding, the prime minister of Jamaica and leader of the Jamaica Labour Party, initially refused to extradite him, claiming that the United States had used warrantless wiretapping to gather evidence on Coke. Eavesdrop evidence did precipitate the US call for extradition.[3] On 17 May 2010 the Government of Jamaica relented and issued a warrant for Coke's arrest,[7] and Senator Tom Tavares-Finson withdrew as Coke's attorney on 18 May 2010 "in order to avoid conflict of interest".[8]
Following this news, Coke's supporters began protesting and arming themselves, and Kingston was placed under a state of emergency after a series of shootings and firebombings within the city.[9] On 24 May 2010, police and military forces launched a large-scale operation aimed at taking Coke into custody.[10] By 27 May, at least 73 people had died in clashes between Jamaican security forces and gunmen in West Kingston.[11] This casualty toll has climbed to a confirmed number of 76 dead victims.[12] Others have put the death toll at 74 including a lone soldier.[3]
Coke was detained during a routine roadblock while attempting to surrender himself to the United States Embassy in Kingston, possibly while disguised as a woman,[13] wearing a woman's wig and in possession of a second wig with pink hair and a pair of women's sunglasses. The influential evangelical priest Reverend Al Miller was also detained while attempting to facilitate the surrender. Miller told police Coke feared for his life if he surrendered directly to the police, and was asked by Coke to facilitate his surrender. Miller also facilitated the surrender of Coke's brother one month earlier.[14][15]
Coke voluntarily waived his right to an extradition trial so that he could be taken to the US to be tried. Coke's father died in a mysterious prison fire while awaiting an extradition trial. Awaiting extradition, Coke was held under heavy guard out of concern that his supporters might attack.[16]
Coke indicated that his decision to surrender and face charges was based on a desire to end the violence in Jamaica, saying [17]:
"I take this decision for I now believe it to be in the best interest of my family, the community of western Kingston and in particular the people of Tivoli Gardens and above all Jamaica."
Coke was tried in the U.S. state of New York on charges of drug and weapons trafficking,[18] and initially pled not guilty to charges of running a massive drug gang.[17]
However, in August 2011, he pled guilty to racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to commit assault in aid of racketeering in the United States[19][20]. Coke is often portrayed as a benevolent, philanthropic, well-mannered individual; however, this wasn't always the case before he committed the crimes he has now admitted to, according to court papers presented at his hearing. Papers presented at his hearing by prosecuting lawyers bear witness to a brutal side to his character in the guise of his 'business' empire implicated to at least one stabbing (he ordered the stabbing in the face of a marijuana dealer who crossed him). He also committed at least 5 murders, one where he used a chain saw on one victim because he had stolen drugs from him. Evidence was provided by the Jamaican government itself, it turns out that the Jamaican authorities had been wire-tapping his cellphone[21][22] and recorded at least 50,000 conversations from at least 2004.[23] He was due to be sentenced on December 8, 2011 but that has now been delayed until 17 January 2012. He faces a maximum of 23 years in federal prison.[24][25]