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49°
Thursday, mar 20
Tag:
Cocaine
News
Luxury Cars, $99K+, 8 Kilos Of Cocaine Seized In Massive
Nj-pa-de
Drug Bust
A months-long undercover operation spanning Pennsylvania and New Jersey led to the arrest of six men accused of running a major cocaine trafficking ring, Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer announced on Tuesday, March 18. Dubbed "Operation Spark Plug," the investigation was spearheaded by the Delaware County Narcotics Task Force with assistance from the Pennsylvania State Police, Delaware State Police, the Camden County, New Jersey District Attorney’s Office, the DEA, and the FBI. Authorities seized over 8 kilograms of cocaine, nearly $100,000 in cash, multiple luxury vehicle…
News
Bergen Prosecutor’s Lt. Faces 50-Count Indictment For Stealing Fentanyl, Heroin: AG
A Bergen County prosecutor’s office lieutenant is facing a 50-count indictment after allegedly stealing cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl from the evidence vault and depositing $600,000 in cash into his personal accounts, authorities said. A state grand jury in Trenton indicted Kevin T. Matthew, 48, of Cedar Grove, after an investigation revealed he had allegedly signed out narcotics from BCPO’s main evidence vault between January 2019 and November 2023, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced Wednesday, March 12. Authorities said Matthew was not part of BCPO’s narcotics unit, but as a me…
Police & Fire
Mahwah Man Busted While Trying To Sell Fentanyl, Cocaine: Sheriff
A drug bust in Putnam County led to the arrest of two men, including a New Jersey resident, who allegedly arrived to sell fentanyl and cocaine, authorities announced. The operation took place on Wednesday, March 5, around 2:30 p.m. in Kent, where members of the Putnam County Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Enforcement Unit intercepted the suspects when they arrived to sell the drugs, according to Sheriff Kevin J. McConville. The suspects were identified as Orange County resident Jamel Donaldson, 31, of New Windsor, and New Jersey resident Paul Roeser, 27, of Mahwah. Donaldson, w…
Police & Fire
Bergen County Residents Among 23 Arrested In Another Major Drug Bust: Prosecutor
Twenty-three people including four women and 19 men from Bergen and Passaic counties have been arrested following a 10-month-long investigation into the distribution of cocaine and narcotics in Passaic County, authorities said. The 23 people were charged with various controlled dangerous substance offenses after an investigation that began last May, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes and numerous police chiefs said. Law enforcement in Wayne and Pompton Lakes began investigating after responding to complaints about the sale of cocaine in the area, Valdes said. The investigati…
Police & Fire
Garfield Man Held Victim Hostage With Hypodermic Needle In Hotel Room For Hours: Cops
A man was allegedly held against his will inside a Secaucus motel room for more than two hours while one of his captors blocked the door with a hypodermic needle, police said. Officers responded to the Rodeway Inn on Route 3 East on Sunday, March 2, at 3:19 p.m., after receiving a report of a victim being held hostage inside a room, according to Secaucus Police Chief Dennis Miller. When police arrived, they found the man inside and immediately removed him to safety while detaining two men at the scene, authorities said. Investigators determined that Kevin Bazemore, 44, of Hackensack, physi…
Police & Fire
Drug
Raid
: Bergen County Residents Busted In Major Operation, Cops Say
A months-long investigation into an illegal drug distribution network led to coordinated police raids across North Jersey, resulting in multiple arrests and the seizure of weapons, drugs, and cash, authorities said. The Wayne Police Department and New Jersey State Police executed the raids on Tuesday, January 28, 2025, with assistance from the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, Clifton, Haledon, and Pompton Lakes Police Departments. Tactical units from the NJSP TEAMS Unit and Elmwood Park ERT helped officers enter several locations in Elmwood Park, Saddle Brook, Paterson, Bloomfield, and Mo…
News
Man Accused Of Making Violent Threats Against Trump
A man accused of threatening to kill President Trump has been apprehended following a tip to federal authorities. The investigation began on Inauguration Day on Monday, Jan. 20, after a tip to the FBI National Threat Operations Center reported violent online posts targeting the former president. Federal agents traced the posts to Shannon Depararro Atkins, age 46, of West Palm Beach, Florida, near Trump's Mar-a-Lago estate in Palm Beach. Atkins was arrested just before 7:30 p.m. Friday, Jan. 24 near his home after being pulled over in a white 2013 BMW 750Li, said Public Informat…
News
NJ 'Hot Shot' Murderess Found Dead In PA Prison Cell 3 Days After Probation Violation Arrest
A New Jersey woman convicted of murder, who admitted to injecting a man with a fatal mix of cocaine and bleach, was found dead in her cell at the State Correctional Institution at Muncy, officials announced. Lisa Marie Stavish, 41, a Passaic, NJ native, was discovered unresponsive in her cell on Sunday, Dec. 22, 2024, according to Wendy Nicholas, superintendent of SCI Muncy. Prison staff attempted life-saving measures until emergency responders arrived, but Stavish was pronounced dead at 6:07 a.m. Stavish was serving a 7-to-20-year sentence for third-degree murder in the death of David…
News
Grand Jury Declines To File Charges After Death At Paterson Police Headquarters: AG
A grand jury has declined to indict anyone after a 57-year-old Paterson woman died in 2022 while in custody at the Paterson Police Department, authorities said. Rosita Diaz was arrested Thursday, February 17, 2022, for alleged possession of narcotics, the State Attorney General's Office said. Between Feb. 17 and Feb. 18, she was taken to a hospital several times for either medical issues or medical/psychological clearance for incarceration, authorities said. After her last discharge from the hospital, and while awaiting transportation to the jail, she was found unresponsive in a Paterson Po…
Police & Fire
6 Pounds Of Crystal Meth, Guns Seized From Hackensack Dad-Son Duo: Cops
A Hackensack father and son have been arrested in a major drug bust that uncovered over six pounds of crystal methamphetamine, cocaine, and a stolen handgun, authorities said. Jahfari Raheem Miller, 41, and Melachi Miller, 19, were taken into custody on Tuesday, Dec. 12, 2024, after detectives executed a Superior Court-ordered search warrant at an apartment and a 2021 Chevy Tahoe, police said. Inside the vehicle, investigators found an aftermarket hidden compartment containing a loaded, stolen Ruger LCP handgun, along with additional narcotics. The search also yielded large quantities…
Police & Fire
Violent NJ Human Trafficking Rings Dismantled Where Women, Teens Were Forced Into Sex: AG
Seven people have been arrested in the dismantling two human trafficking rings, one in North Jersey and one in South Jersey, authorities said. The rings were based in Essex County and Cumberland County, state Attorney General Matthew Platkin said at a news conference on Tuesday, Dec. 3. Khailah Meekins, 21 and Donte Barkley, 28, both Newark residents, trafficked two 15-year-olds and a 13-year-old in Essex County, Platkin said. Meekins and Barkley arranged sexual encounters for the girls through mobile apps that included online ads featuring nude photos of the minors. The girls would be…
Police & Fire
NY Drug Dealer Tries Swallowing Cocaine During Hotel Bust In Bergen County, Police Say
Two New York men were arrested in Bergen County on Monday evening, Nov. 25, after police caught them trying to hide cocaine during a suspected drug deal, authorities said. Mahwah police were conducting surveillance at a local hotel at approximately 6:30 p.m., following reports of possible illegal drug activity, Chief Timothy O’Hara said. Officers observed two individuals, later identified as Kervin Plasencia, 35, of Queens, and Christian Rivera, 33, of New York, NY, being dropped off by a rideshare vehicle at the hotel entrance. As officers approached the vehicle, Plasencia tried to swallow…
Police & Fire
Mugshots Released: Lodi SWAT Raid Uncovers 28K Fentanyl Pills, Meth, Ghost Guns
A major drug bust in Bergen County led to the seizure of tens of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills, along with cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and untraceable firearms, authorities said in announcing the arrests of the three men behind it. Ramon Morillo, 39, of Fort Lee; Brandon Morillo, 31, of Lodi; and Joseph Diaz, 34, of Fort Lee, were arrested on Thursday, Nov. 7, following a months-long investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotic Task Force, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. The investigation began in July 2024, when detectives identified Mo…
Police & Fire
Clifton Driver Asleep At Wheel Had Heroin, Cocaine In Lyndhurst: Police
A 37-year-old man who police found asleep behind the wheel of a car was found with drugs and more than $1,100 in cash, police in Bergen County said. Lyndhurst Police Officer Dorio approached a Toyota Corolla stopped in the middle of the 300 block of Harding Avenue around 3:35 a.m. Monday, Oct. 28, where a man later identified as Daniel Barro Jr., of Clifton, was sleeping behind the wheel, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. With the vehicle running and still in drive, Dorio rendered the vehicle safe before waking Barro. "Upon learning of the police presence, Barro attempted to conceal …
Police & Fire
Intoxicated Driver Who Nearly Caused Bergen County Crash Found With Cocaine, Police Say
A 40-year-old Newark man was arrested and charged with driving under the influence and possessing cocaine in Lyndhurst on Sunday, Oct. 27, authorities said. At 12:08 a.m., officers were on patrol in the area of Ridge Road and Kingsland Avenue when they observed a silver Mazda CX5 delaying traffic which nearly caused a crash, Lyndhurst police said. Upon making contact with the driver, officers detected an odor of an alcoholic beverage emanating from the driver’s, later identified as Sergio Torres, breath, police said. Torres performed a series of field sobriety tests and was arre…
Police & Fire
Post-Drug Deal Arrest Nets Cocaine From North Bergen Man Wanted On 8 Warrants In Guttenberg: PD
A 42-year-old North Bergen man was arrested and charged with possessing cocaine on Tuesday, Oct. 29, in Guttenberg, authorities said. Officers conducted a traffic stop after observing the vehicle's driver, later identified as Olinsser Vera, engage in what appeared to be drug transaction, Guttenberg police said. Officers believed the driver was engaged in criminal activity and requested the Bayonne Police Department's K9 unit, police said. The narcotics K9 conducted a free air sniff of the vehicle, during which the K-9 indicated to the presence of narcotics within the vehicle, police sa…
Police & Fire
Ex-Con Driving On 2 Flats Found With Gun, Hollow-Point Bullets At NJ School: Cops
A 49-year-old Burlington Township ex-convict was found with a loaded gun and drugs at a Somerset County school one early-morning this week, authorities said. Police in Franklin Township were notified around 6:10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 15, that someone was driving on two flat tires on the property of a local private school, Somerset County Prosecutor John P. McDonald said. Arriving officers found Quincy K. Clark coming out of the bushes with his hands in his pockets, they said. Officers conducting the investigation found a high-capacity ammunition magazine on Clark, and a more extensive sea…
Police & Fire
Phone Call During Sex Sparked Arrest Of Jabrill Peppers Arrest, Paramus Catholic Grad: Report
Details have been released in the arrest of Jabrill Peppers. A victim in Braintree, MA, told police Saturday, Oct. 5 that the 29-year-old New England Patriots safety became upset when someone called her phone while they were having sex, NBC10 says citing a police report. Peppers, a New Jersey native and four-time state high school football champion, smashed her head against the wall, pushed her down the stairs, and choked her at least six times, NBC10 said. Citing court paperwork, CBS said the athlete answered the door without a shirt on saying, "I know what is going on." He…
Police & Fire
Drunk Driver Pretending To Sleep Had Fake Passports, Cocaine In Bergen County Traffic Stop: PD
More than $32,000 in cash, cocaine, fake European passports and more were seized from an intoxicated driver and his New York passenger in a motor vehicle stop over the weekend in Bergen County, NJ, police said. George Lenard, 23, of Morganville, NJ, was stopped on West Passaic Street by Rochelle Park Police Officer Chris Kiszka around 11 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, for erratic driving, RPPD Chief Dean Pinto said. Lenard quickly jumped into the backseat and pretended to be asleep, Pinto said. Meanwhile, the officer spotted open containers of alcohol in the center console, and Lenard ap…
News
NJ Women Drugged With Meth-Infused Tequila, Sexually Assaulted By 'Sugar Daddy,' Complaint Says
A newly obtained criminal complaint details how a 40-year-old Pennsylvania man drugged and sexually assaulted six women during their dates from hell at his home. All of the women, including two from New Jersey, met Andrew Gallo, of Levittown, PA on sugardaddymeet.com. Gallo appeared to have followed the exact same playbook, police papers show: He'd brag about his bartending skills then pour them a drink from open bottles and hop in the shower shower. When he got out, he'd give the women a tour of his home, telling them how he rebuilt it after a fire. It was somewhere around this point …
Police & Fire
Lyndhurst Man, Lodi Man Charged With Distribution, 150 Grams Of Cocaine Seized
Three men were recently arrested and charged after a narcotics investigation in Secaucus resulted in the recovery of over 150 grams of cocaine and approximately 20 grams of MDMA, authorities said. Nelson Villegas-Rios, a 33-year-old Lyndhurst resident and Sebastian Ospina Osorio, a 34-year-old New York resident were arrested on Wednesday, Aug. 7 and charged with distributing cocaine and ecstasy, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez said. They were arrested on Plaza Drive in Secaucus. Larry Marin, a 27-year-old Lodi resident was arrested at John F. Kennedy International Airport on Tuesday,…
Police & Fire
$1.1M In Drugs, 5 Firearms, $65K Seized From NJ Man, Prosecutor Says
A 35-year-old Mercer County man is facing a slew of charges after investigators uncovered $1.1 million in drugs, five handguns, and $65,000 in cash from him, authorities said. James Nalbone Jr., 35, of Hamilton Township, was arrested on Wednesday, Aug. 7, following a month-long investigation, Acting Mercer County Prosecutor Theresa L. Hilton said. Detectives detained Nalbone at his home on Byron Avenue and executed a search warrant, Hilton said. Sgt. Tom Paglione's K-9 partner, Indy, gave positive indications of a drug odor at multiple locations within the premises, poli…
Police & Fire
Wanted NJ Child Abuser Busted With Police Uniform, Handcuffs In NY Traffic Stop: Cops
A man who had been wanted out of New Jersey on child abuse charges was arrested in a New York traffic stop last week, when authorities found him with police uniforms and handcuffs, they said. Joseph Zuziela, 43, of Branchburg, NJ, was stopped in Oceanside, NY on Thursday night, Aug. 8. Somerset County Prosecutor's Fugitive Task Force Unit Nassau County Police said officers stopped Zuziela’s vehicle at around 11:45 p.m. near Merrick and Oceanside roads. Inside, they reportedly found a trove of law enforcement paraphernalia, including police uniforms, handcuffs, a gold badge, brass knu…
Police & Fire
NJ Woman Who Dealt Meth, Cocaine Via FedEx Gets 10 Years, US Attorney Says
A 32-year-old Newark woman was sentenced to 10 years in prison on Thursday, July 11, after being convicted of possessing cocaine and methamphetamine with intent to distribute, authorities said. In March 2021, two FedEx parcels addressed to a "John Brown" in Newark were intercepted by law enforcement and found to contain cocaine, US Attorney Philip Sellinger said. An undercover officer disguised as a FedEx driver delivered the package of cocaine to Mahogany Hawkins, Sellinger said. Officers showed up at Hawkins' place again, but when they identified themselves as law enforcement, Hawki…
News
Mass Amounts Of Cocaine, $17K Seized From Mom-Son Duo In Bloomfield, Newark SWAT Raids: Cops
Detectives have put a stop to one family's cocaine distribution business in a series of raids across Essex County Tuesday, July 9, authorities said. More than 10,000 vials of cocaine, several hundred grams of cocaine, $17,600 in cash and a handgun with an extended magazine were seized by detectives, ultimately leading to charges against Edwin Medina, 32 and his mother, Sandra Almodovar, 51, both of Newark, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II announced. Detectives from the ECPO Narcotics Task Force first seized more than a kilo of suspected cocaine in a series of…
Police & Fire
Paterson Drug Dealer Charged In OD Death Of Westwood Victim, 38, Prosecutor Says
A 39-year-old Paterson man has been charged with providing the drugs that allegedly resulted in a fatal overdose of a Westwood man in May, authorities said. Jesus A. Cantillo is believed to have provided the drugs that led to the death of 38-year-old Lance Kerness, of Westwood, who was found unresponsive in a home on May 2, 2024, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said on Friday, June 28. Kerness was pronounced dead at the scene, Musella said. Indicators of a possible drug overdose were noted, and detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotic Task Force were no…
News
Fentanyl-Dealing Paterson Gangsters Facing Federal Charges, 1 Robbed Mail Carrier, DOJ Says
Four Paterson gang members have recently been charged with distributing fentanyl, heroin and cocaine, authorities said. The gang members, Jazmeir Reyes, a.k.a. Baby Joe, 19, Kyzeik Robinson, a.k.a. Doo Doo, 18, Michael Davis, a.k.a. Baby Three, 27 and Jacim Pitts, 24, operate in North Main and Jefferson Streets in the First Ward of Paterson, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. Reyes, Robinson and Davis were all members of the 100K gang while Pitts was a member of So Icey, a gang aligned with 100K, Sellinger said. In July 2023 in Paterson, Reyes held a mail carrier at gunp…
News
Undercover Sting Leads To Prostitution Arrest At NJ Go-Go Bar With Unsavory History
A 36-year-old Belleville woman has been arrested after she offered an undercover officer sexual favors in exchange for money at a popular Secaucus go-go bar, police said. Acting on a tip that prostitution was still an ongoing issue at AJ’s Go-Go Bar on Secaucus Road, Secaucus police officers were sent to the establishment — undercover, Chief Dennis Miller said. Sure enough, Dilcia Nunez Gomez offered one officer sexual favors in exchange for money, Miller said. She was charged with engaging in prostitution and promoting prostitution. In April 2021, multiple AJ's employees were arreste…
Police & Fire
Driver Blacked Out At Intersection Had Coke, Smack In Car: Lyndhurst PD
An unlicensed Kearny driver was released after Lyndhurst police said they found him blacked out behind the wheel with cocaine in the car and empty heroin folds in his pocket. Detectives Matt Giunta and Tom McSweeney found traffic at a standstill in the area of Page Avenue and Ridge Road in the middle of the afternoon, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. Drivers were maneuvering their vehicles around a 2002 Kia K5 that was stopped at the light, the lieutenant said. The detectives at first thought the sedan was disabled. Then they found 57-year-old Anthony DeSantis asleep at the wheel, with t…
Police & Fire
Overdose Death Of Lodi Man, 62, Leads To SWAT Raid, Arrest
𝗨𝗣𝗗𝗔𝗧𝗘: A Lodi man was jailed Tuesday in connection with the overdose death of a 62-year-old drug user last month from cocaine laced with fentanyl, authorities said. A Bergen County Regional SWAT team led a May 21 raid on the Victor Street apartment of Randy Lantigua, 25. The early-morning raid and arrest stem from an investigation into the death of James White of Lodi, who was found unresponsive from an overdose in the bedroom of his home on April 6, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. Raised in Wood-Ridge, James Anthony White was a self-employed contract pain…
Police & Fire
Feds: Nine Sex, Money, Murder Members Nabbed With Fentanyl, Coke, More At Open-Air Drug Market
Nine reputed members and associates of the Sex, Money, Murder street gang were charged by Homeland Security agents in New Jersey with peddling fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine at an open-air drug market. Working with local law enforcers, agents with HSI Investigations Newark homed in on a neighborhood on West 3rd Street in Plainfield where the subset of the Bloods controlled the drug trade, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said. For months, they witnessed and recorded sales, conducted undercover buys -- some by confidential informants -- and analyzed phone records, the U.S. attorney said. …
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