82°
CLIFFVIEW PILOT broke the news yesterday: Tactical force conducting major drug roundup in Hackensack, Bergen
Shoop’s was one of many stories told today about defendants swept up in the initiative.
They include a convicted murderer and sex offender out on parole, a man accused of leaving his 10-month-old daughter covered with a pillow in his car while he ran drugs to a city high-rise and a woman who authorities said kept drugs in her bra as she sat in a public park with her daughter and 4-year-old granddaughter.
As CLIFFVIEW PILOT first reported exclusively yesterday, a massive tactical force of nearly 250 local, county and state law enforcement officers swept up dozens of drug offenders beginning before 5 a.m. yesterday — and still continuing today. Participating in the sweep, coordinated by Hackensack police, were the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, the Bergen County Sheriff’s Office and the New Jersey State Police.
Hackensack Police Director Michael Mordaga also credited Little Ferry police and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration for their participation, as well.
He issued a news release this afternoon that recounted several stories — including Shoop’s.
“In April of 2013 , Hackensack police began investigating a group of individuals distributing ‘Molly’ (MDMA) in the Hackensack area,” Mordaga said, referring to the powdered form of Ecstasy.
MUGSHOT: Courtesy HACKENSACK PD
“On April 23, 2013, Richard Shoop was arrested while delivering ‘Molly’ near Anderson Street Park,” he added (mugshot, left). “Information was received that Shoop was involved with others in the importing of raw materials from China to manufacture their own ‘Molly.’
“On October 24, 2013 , as part of Hackensack’s on-going investigation, Shoop sold ‘Molly’ to an undercover officer,” Mordaga said.
Ten days later, on Nov. 4, Shoop killed himself at the mall after firing several times at no one, causing a panic followed by a lockdown and enormous law enforcement response (SEE: Prosecutor: Garden State Plaza shooter used rifle similar to AK-47).
“A note left by Shoop indicated that he had suspected he was under investigation,” Mordaga said this afternoon. “Toxicology reports show Shoop had ‘Molly’ in his system.
It was the first time any details of writings Shoop left behind were revealed.
One of the accused members of the Molly network, Christian Alameda of Polifly Road in Hackensack, sold the drug and cocaine three different times to undercover officers while wearing his EMT uniform, the police director added.
Detectives moved in after the third deal and Alameda ran for several blocks before he was tackled in a snow bank, Mordaga said.
Alameda claimed that he is, in fact, a certified EMT but hasn’t worked at the job in more than a year, he said.
Adding a jolt to a year-long crackdown on drug-dealing on the streets of Hackensack, police the past two days have been rounding up street- and mid-level dealers in what is being described as the largest sweep of its kind in city history.
More than 160 alleged dealers have been targeted following seven months of undercover buys of a host of drugs — heroin, crack, cocaine, pot, Ecstasy, Oxy and what is referred to on the street “pink crack” or “strawberry crack” which is often cooked up with both cocaine and meth, Mordaga said today.
Also bought during several hundred undercover transactions were joints dipped in embalming fluid — known as “WET” – and various guns, he said.
Most of buys were made in public parks or in and around public housing and school zones, Mordaga said.
“Drug deals took place on street corners, in private homes, shopping centers, restaurants and other locations throughout the entire city,” the director said.
Some of those charged were “simply full-time drug dealers while others varied from convicted murderers, sex offenders and career criminals to EMTs, a credit union teller, a barber, a school custodian and others,” Mordaga said.
Among the stories cited in the director’s news release:
Charles “Old School” Williams, a convicted murderer and sex offender out on parole, “sold heroin and oxycodone to an undercover officer on three separate occasions. All three sales were made near Union Street Park. He was charged with 3 counts of distribution of narcotics and 3 counts of distribution near a public park.
“While working in an undercover capacity, one of the officers was introduced to Williams for the purpose of purchasing narcotics. While interacting with Williams and others associated with Williams, the undercover officer learned of a stabbing Williams had committed on February 6, 2014.
Charles Williams (MUGSHOT: Courtesy HACKENSACK PD)
“As a result, Williams was charged with aggravated assault for stabbing a 24-year-old male in the chest with a kitchen knife. Williams is on lifetime parole for the rapes and murders of two young boys ages 13 and 14.
“Williams was also convicted of raping a sodomizing numerous young boys in the Bergen, Passaic and Morris Counties.
“Based on the undercover officers’ interaction with Williams, along with intelligence gathered by Hackensack detectives, an active investigation has begun on Williams. Hackensack Police have informed cold case detectives from other jurisdictions of their investigation.”
* * * * *
Jeremy Castillo of Ridgefield Park left his 10-month-old daughter in his car – placing a large Tempur-Pedic pillow over her to hide her – while delivering drugs to a client in one of the high-rise apartments on Prospect Avenue, city police said.
“Castillo was arrested when he returned to the vehicle. Drugs were found in the car and on his person. Castillo has been charged with possession of Cocaine and distribution of CDS within 1000 feet of a school. He was also charged with endangering the welfare of a child.
* * * * * *
Patricia Thompson (MUGSHOT: Courtesy HACKENSACK PD)
“Three generations were present when Patricia Thompson — aka “Mother Pat” — and her daughter Shannon Thompson sold drugs in Union Street Park,” Mordaga said.
“An undercover police officer purchased drugs on three occasions in the park. On each occasion the officer purchased Oxycodone. Pat Thompson would keep the drugs in her bra. Sitting on the park bench was Pat’s daughter, Shannon Thompson, and a small child later identified as Shannon’s 4-year-old daughter.
“Anyone passing the park would simply see a small child in the park with the mother and grandmother.”
* * * * * *
Cleon Shoemaker and Latoya Mccarroll “sold drugs from their apartment at 157 Clinton Place.
“Information was obtained that the two were selling “WET’ (marijuana dipped in embalming fluid). An undercover police officer purchased the “WET’ on two occasions, both of which a baby was present. On one occasion the drugs were handed to the undercover police officer by Latoya Mccarroll as she held the baby in her arm.
* * * * * *
Nahdir Gonzalez of 54 Temple Avenue was charged with two counts of drug distribution. Mordaga said Gonzales “sold the drugs to the undercover officer while holding his infant son in his arms. The sale took place near Memorial Park on Main Street.”
Click here to follow Daily Voice Hackensack and receive free news updates.
