ADDU: Drug bust biggest in Albany this year

ALBANY — An Albany man who authorities say was one of the Albany area’s most wanted suspected drug dealers was arrested Friday in what has been declared the largest crack and powder cocaine bust in the city this year.

Leon Quantai Cox, 34, was encountered by agents with the Albany-Dougherty County Drug Unit at 5:30 p.m. Friday on the 800 block of West Whitney Avenue. When agents approached him, officials say, he drove into a tree and ran from agents before being caught.

A search of Cox and his vehicle resulted in the discovery of drugs and cash, said ADDU Commander Maj. Prurince Dice.

Dice said the most recent arrest was Cox’s third “strike,” and that Cox had been taken off parole within the last two years. The second “strike,” the drug unit commander said, did not result in a conviction.

“He is classified as one of our major dealers,” Dice said. “He was actually one of the top 10 major dealers we have been after.”

Cox has been the drug business for more than a decade. Dice said. With Friday’s arrest, more than $18,000 in drugs and $2,202.55 in currency were seized, along with the 1975 Chevrolet Impala Cox was driving, Dice said.

The seizures included 13.7 grams of marijuana, 54.8 grams of powder cocaine and 97.9 grams of crack cocaine ADDU officials said. Cox faces charges including trafficking of cocaine, possession of drug-related objects, possession of marijuana, obstruction and driving on a suspended license, Dice said.

The ADDU commander said the agency was considering the possibility of seeking federal government adoption of the case “so he doesn’t see daylight in Albany and Dougherty County again.”

Dice added that drug busts might continue to get bigger.

“There are a lot of dealers out there, so we are taking them out one by one,” he said.