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John Mosley, 50, of Hackensack (above, left), and 51-year-old Larry Garrett of Lodi (above, right) were arrested as part of “Operation White Silk,” a joint investigation by the state Division of Criminal Justice, the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office and the DEA, with help from Paterson and New Jersey State Police.
Ten other people already have pleaded guilty in the case to conspiring to distribute the highly addictive opiate painkiller.
Those arrested were “peddling addiction and death in North Jersey,” state Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman said this afternoon.
“These highly addictive pain pills are causing escalating overdose deaths across New Jersey and luring young people to the cheaper and even more lethal alternative of heroin,” he said. “With operations such as this one, we are attacking the opiate crisis in New Jersey at its source.”
The ring distributed high-dose “blues,” which contained 30 milligrams of oxycodone, and “bananas,” oblong yellow Percocet pills containing 10 milligrams of oxycodone, among others, the indictment alleges.
A “blue” ordinarily sells for $10 to $30 on the street, while a “banana” sells for $5 to $8.
At the top of the chain was alleged ringleader Aurelio Gutierrez, 61, of Paterson, aka “Blanquito,” who is accused in the indictment of using runners such as Mosely and Garrett to obtain oxy, Xanax and other prescription drugs for street distribution.
The runners used a variety of methods, including buying pills from low-income residents of Paterson who had legitimate prescriptions, obtaining fraudulent prescriptions that they filled at pharmacies and using their own prescriptions for personal medical conditions, Hoffman said this afternoon.
Gutierrez paid the runners enough for them to make a profit, then resold the pills at a substantial markup to other dealers — or “pill brokers” — who came to him from throughout North Jersey, the attornely general said.
Gutierrez, Mosley, Garrett and six alleged co-conspirators are charged with second-degree conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance (CDS), among other counts.
Gutierrez — who authorities said often distributed each supply within 24 hours — also faces a first-degree charge of promoting organized street crime.
Gutierrez and co-defendant Daniel Blanco, 48, of the Bronx, N.Y., were arrested on Broadway in Paterson on July 12, 2013, after Gutierrez allegedly sold Blanco 110 oxycodone pills.
Investigators executed search warrants that day and seized 532 oxycodone pills from Gutierrez’s vehicle and his home on East 17th Street, Hoffman said.
Most of the other defendants were arrested during a sweep on Aug. 1, 2013.
“With high-dose 30 milligram oxycodone pills known as ‘blues’ selling for up to $30 per pill, there is a strong financial incentive for those who earn illicit profits by diverting and dealing these drugs,” DCA Director Elie Honig said. “But we’re determined to provide a powerful disincentive in the form of prison sentences.”
“We’re combating the problem of opiate addiction on all fronts, aggressively investigating and prosecuting heroin and prescription pill rings, while also targeting doctors and pharmacists who illegally make these opiate pills available for abuse,” Honig said.
Deputy Attorney General Ray Mateo presented the case to the state grand jury following an investigation for the DCA by himself, lead Detective Kevin Weinkauff and North Squad Detectives Louis Renshaw, Travis Johnson, Toni Petreski, Miguel Rodriguez and Luis Cruz.
The investigation was conducted for the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office by Detectives Stephan Lantigua, Eric Fajardo and Johnnie Ramos.
Hoffman also thanked members of the DEA, State Police and Paterson PD.
Besides Gutierrez, Mosley and Garrett, those indicted were:
Accused dealers Daniel Blanco, 48, of the Bronx (arrested with Gutierrez); David Licata, Jr., 35, formerly of Nutley; Marcos Moya, 34, of Paterson; and Jason Wagoner, 36, of Lafayette.
The alleged runners charged are Shakera Brown, 54, Dwight Nero, 59, and Carmen Shannon, all of Paterson.
The DCA’s Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau secured the indictment, handed up to Superior Court Judge Mary C. Jacobson in Mercer County. She assigned the case to Passaic County, where the defendants will be ordered to appear for arraignment.
IMAGES: Courtesy NJ ATTORNEY GENERAL
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