Twenty-two charged after undercover drug investigation at Providence's Kennedy Plaza

PROVIDENCE – Twenty-two suspects are facing drug distribution charges after a month-long Providence police investigation in the Kennedy Plaza area, Mayor Brett P. Smiley and Police Chief Col. Oscar L. Perez Jr. announced Monday morning.

To build the case, members of the department's narcotics bureau worked undercover at the downtown transportation hub , with assistance from the patrol bureau, the mayor and police chief said in a news release.

The defendants are charged with various counts of unlawful delivery of cocaine and conspiracy, Smiley and Perez said.

Most of the defendants are from Providence and on probation for previous arrests, Smiley and Perez said. Most of the suspects have criminal histories, with 14 of them having "felony/violent crime" convictions for charges including sexual assault, felony assault, illegal firearms offenses, drug distribution and domestic violence, Smiley and Perez said. One of the suspects was apprehended in the previous Kennedy Plaza drug sweep , according to Smiley and Perez.

Smiley commended the Police Department for "this incredible milestone in ensuring that this area remains safe for the many individuals that live, work and visit Providence every day."

He said his administration "will continue to invest in innovative public safety programs and new police academies that help to ensure we have more officers present on patrol and in our neighborhoods and are better able to hold perpetrators of these crimes accountable.”

Perez said the investigation "should send a clear message to our community that individuals who engage in unlawful activity will be held accountable.”

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Twenty-two charged after undercover drug investigation at Providence's Kennedy Plaza