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Three juveniles wanted for violent crimes were among those seized in "Operation Clean Sweep."
Others had been charged with weapons possession, aggravated assault, making terroristic threats, selling drugs and other serious offenses, Acting Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens II said.
"This is a quality of life issue," Stephens said. “The goal was to get those wanted for violent offenses off the street and prevent them from committing new crimes."
Most of the arrests were in Newark, East Orange, Irvington, although some were made out of county, the prosecutor said.
“The criminal justice system can’t work properly if defendants – especially those charged with serious crimes – feel like they can post bail and simply walk away,” U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said.
"We are proud of the work our law enforcement partners are doing here in Essex County to make sure these defendants are being held to account and made to answer to the courts," he said.
The Essex County Prosecutor’s Office partnered in "Operation Clean Sweep" with the Newark, Irvington, Orange and East Orange police departments, Rutgers police, the Essex County Sheriff, the New Jersey State Police, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the Drug Enforcement Agency and the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
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