Three brothers are suspected of running a drug operation, making and selling counterfeit pills containing Xanax and fentanyl out of their high-end downtown Raleigh apartments, according to warrants.
Atsouste Dossou and Etse Dossou, both 21 years old, were arrested on May 31. Raleigh Police say Atsouste was charged with selling and delivering a schedule IV drug, and with possession with the intent to manufacture, sell, and distribute a schedule IV drug.
Etse was charged with conspiracy to sell and deliver a schedule IV drug, and with conspiracy of possession with the intent to manufacture, sell and distribute a schedule IV drug.
Raleigh Police confirm a third brother, Atsou Dossou, 21, was also arrested back on May 31 in connection to the case. He’s charged with trafficking opium or heroin, and possession with the intent to manufacture, sell and distribute a schedule IV drug.
Atsou Dossou Sr., the triplets’ father, said the family moved to the US from West Africa when the boys were 7 years old.
“You can have children who can grow up well, but who go stray a little bit. But we have hope that we will have them back,” he said.
According to search warrants for Astouste Dossou’s Gmail and Facebook accounts, Raleigh Police received a tip that the brothers had a large amount of Xanax pills that possibly contained fentanyl, a potent opioid.
Warrants state Este lives at The Hue Apartments on Hargett Street, and Atsouste lives at the Sky House Apartments on S. Blount Street.
A clerk at the Sky House Apartments told detectives that, over the past several months, Atsouste received numerous packages, which police believed was a pill press and supplies to make counterfeit pills, warrants say.
A clerk at the Sky House Apartment said he recognized the brothers, but management said they had no comment on the allegations.
A member of The Hue’s office staff said he recognized the brothers, but didn’t know of any illegal or criminal activity.
According to the warrants, in August 2017, a Raleigh Police detective learned Garner Police had an informant who claimed the brothers ordered 10,000 fentanyl pills and up to 100,000 Xanax bars at a time from the dark web, and pressed their own bars. The informant said the brothers shipped the pills to numerous addresses “associated with Este Dossou and his criminal enterprise,” according to the warrant.
A Holly Springs Police investigation revealed the the brothers to be “major suppliers” of Xanax pills to Holly Springs High School students, according to the warrants.
According to the warrants, an informant messaged Atsouste on Facebook in March and arranged a delivery of 1,000 counterfeit Xanax bars. After a successful delivery, police took the bars as evidence, the warrants state. During the delivery, police identified Atsouste, driving a red Porsche Cayenne, as the one who delivered the pills, warrants say.
Later that same month, an informant arranged another delivery of 1,000 counterfeit Xanax bars, but Atsouste implied his supply was low and we was “re-upping,” warrants state.
According to the warrants, police watched Atsouste later that day as he went to a gas station off Jones Sausage Road and switched cars. He returned three hours later to his car, and contacted the informant, letting him now he could now make the sale, the warrants state.
“You never know who your neighbor is. We expect our neighbor to be a positive person, but you never know,” said Victor Vinson, who has lived at SkyHouse for three years.
Vinson said he knew Atsouste from around the building, and that he was always friendly.
“I didn’t expect that out of him. He was a real good person,” Vinson said.
Many residents, like Kieth Allen, were shocked by the allegations.
“It’s amazing that behind closed doors what goes on that could be a major criminal enterprise, and what’s being checked in through the front door. It’s astounding really,” Allen said.
Atsouste has a court appearance next month. Both brothers are due back in court on September 11.
