U.S. Officials Relinquish 2 Drug Houses to New Owners

Two northeast San Fernando Valley homes that were seized by the federal government two months ago because they were used by a drug-dealing organization have been returned to their buyers, who had innocently purchased them from the ring, authorities said Friday.

Special Assistant U.S. Atty. William Cullen said investigations of the purchases of the houses at 11649 Fenton Ave. in Lake View Terrace and 11236 Adelphia Ave. in Pacoima determined that the buyers had legitimately bought the properties and had no involvement with the drug ring that previously operated at the two locations.

“Possession of the homes is returned,” Cullen said. “They were bona fide buyers. They have been given back their properties.”

One of the buyers had been allowed to live in the seized home while authorities investigated the legitimacy of its purchase. But the other buyer, who had bought the Fenton Avenue property as an investment, was not allowed access to it and was unhappy Friday even though the mix-up seemed to be over.

“I am not pleased at all,” said Ricky Cullors of Saugus. “I haven’t had access to my property. I had renters and buyers lined up. They are definitely gone. I’ll have to start again.”

Authorities had raided the homes Sept. 29 as part of an investigation of a drug ring known as the Bryant Organization, arresting two men and seizing half a pound of cocaine and records of drug transactions.

Taken Over in February

The homes were seized Feb. 8. Federal forfeiture laws allow the government to seize assets that are used by drug-dealing operations and to take ownership through civil forfeiture proceedings.

The seizures were announced in front of the Fenton Avenue house at a press conference that featured law officials ranging from street narcotics detectives to U.S. Atty. Robert C. Bonner.

However, immediately afterward, authorities learned that the Fenton Avenue house had been bought by Cullors the previous month, and that the Adelphia Avenue house had been sold to Olivia Vargas the same day that it was seized.

In checking what happened, investigators learned that the sale of the Fenton Avenue house had not yet been recorded on property title records, which were checked by the FBI before the seizure, Cullen said. And the sale of the other house to Vargas actually occurred four hours after authorities filed their seizure notice against it, he said.

After the seizures, Vargas’ family was allowed to live in the Adelphia Avenue house because it was their only home, but Cullors was denied access to the Fenton Avenue house because it was an investment and he would not be left homeless by being locked out of it.