A coordinated raid on December 13, 2024, led to two arrests and the seizure of drugs, an illegally possessed firearm, and cash at 118 East Green Street—known as the Asteri Apartments. This residential complex is located in the same building as the Ithaca Downtown Conference Center and has become a focal point for law enforcement activity since first welcoming tenants in June.
The Ithaca-Tompkins Specialized Response Team, comprising Ithaca Police Officers and Tompkins County Sheriff’s Deputies, executed the search warrant at the request of the Ithaca Police Department. The raid was part of an ongoing investigation into narcotics trafficking and illegal firearms possession.
During the operation, authorities detained Ramal Abdullah, 46, of Brooklyn, and Randall Brooks, 65, of Ithaca. Abdullah was charged with second-degree criminal possession of a weapon—a felony stemming from his possession of a firearm without legal authorization—and third-degree criminal possession of a controlled substance. He was arraigned and remanded to the Tompkins County Jail without bail.
Abdullah was also involved in a January 2024 incident when he was apprehended after a vehicle pursuit ending at the Arthaus Apartments. At that time, he was found with 32 bags of methamphetamine, 16 bags of heroin and $2,613 in cash, resulting in multiple felony charges.
Brooks faces a charge of first-degree criminal nuisance, a Class E felony in New York. Under state law, this offense involves knowingly maintaining a location where individuals gather to sell controlled substances illegally and benefiting from the activity. The charge indicates that Brooks allegedly allowed or facilitated drug-related gatherings at the premises. Brooks was released pending a court appearance.
A May 21 Instagram post from REACH Medical, an Ithaca harm reduction social service non-profit organization, featured Brooks discussing his struggles with homelessness and signing of a lease on a new apartment. 40 units at the Asteri are designated for those experiencing chronic homelessness. In June, 39 households from this cohort moved into the Asteri in what was called a “housing surge.”
Since opening its doors to tenants in June, the Asteri has been the site of frequent overdoses, including at least one fatal overdose on December 8. The Ithaca Police Community Dashboard currently shows 6 police responses to Asteri for ‘DRUGS – OVERDOSE’ and 1 for ‘DEATH – UNATTENDED.’
An additional report of a non-fatal overdose had occurred at Asteri on December 8 just before 2:30 AM.
The Ithaca Police Department press release for these arrests state that the investigation remains ongoing, and additional charges are expected.
Authorities encourage anyone with relevant information to contact the Ithaca Police Department via the following means.
Police Dispatch: 607-272-3245
Police Administration: 607-272-9973
Police Tipline: 607-330-0000
Anonymous Email Tip Address: www.cityofithaca.org/ipdtips