Big drug bust
in Mayfair

The complexion of the local drug business is changing, according to the Philadelphia Police Department’s man in charge of drug enforcement.
"We’ve seen in the last couple of years where Philadelphia has changed. It’s become a distribution network, as opposed to just a buyers’ market," Chief Inspector William Blackburn said last week after revealing the police department’s latest major drug seizure in Mayfair.
On Sept. 19, officers raided the home of Francis Fulmer, 46, on the 2800 block of Longshore Ave. and allegedly found about $850,000 worth of illicit drugs. The take included about seven kilograms of cocaine with a street value at $771,800, Blackburn said. Police described Fulmer as a mid-level dealer whose influence in the drug trade included most of Northeast Philadelphia.
Investigators, led by Sgt. Chester Malkowski and Officers Brian Dietz and Richard Fitzgerald, targeted the home for about a week. The investigation included purchases by confidential informants and undercover officers, Blackburn said.
With warrant in hand, police raided the home at about 6 a.m. on Sept. 19 as Fulmer allegedly was headed to work. They arrested him on the spot.
In addition to the cocaine, most of which was stashed in a crawl space between a second-floor ceiling and the roof, police also found $54,000 worth of marijuana, $24,400 worth of Oxycontin pills and $37,443 in cash, Blackburn said.
Officers also allegedly recovered a "re-rock" press device commonly used by dealers to mold powdered cocaine into bricks after they’ve mixed the drug with other substances to increase its weight and total value.
Fulmer was charged with possession of a controlled substance and possession with intent to distribute.
Fulmer has a lengthy criminal record in Philadelphia including drug, theft and auto-theft cases. Court documents list him with more than a dozen aliases. ••