47°
"Operation Fire and Ice" — launched under the direction of Acting Somerset County Prosecutor Thomas J. Chirichella Jr., and multiple federal law enforcement agencies — targeted a crystal meth, cocaine and firearms distribution ring, Chirichella's office said on Monday, March 7.
Twenty search warrants were executed at the homes of Jeffrey Cope, Shayne Murdock, Jermaine Lloyd, Jason Fort, David Ninson, George Hanriot, John Hanriot, and Gabriel Rodriguez, the prosecutor said.
Those resulted in the seizure of:
- 700 grams of cocaine
- 1,257 grams of methamphetamine
- 36 pounds of marijuana
- 950 grams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)/hashish
- 32 grams of psilocybin mushrooms
- 9 grams of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA)
- four folds of heroin, seven handguns, one shotgun
- eight high capacity magazines
- 1,200 rounds of full metal jacket ammunition
- 130 rounds of hollow point ammunition
- $183,036 in U.S. currency as suspected drug sale proceeds.
Search warrants executed on Feb. 16 led to the following arrests, Chirichella said.
- Jeffrey Cope, age 58, Somerset: Drug/weapons offenses.
- Thomas O’Brien, age 58, Somerset: Drug charges
- Shayne Murdock, age 43, Raritan Borough: Drug charges
- Jermaine Lloyd, age 41, South Bound Brook: Drug/weapons offenses
- Jason Fort, age 31, Bound Brook: Drug/weapons offenses
- David Ninson, age 33, Somerset: Drug offenses
- Shakaun Toney, age 34, Somerset: Drug offenses
- George Hanriot, age 45, Somerset: Drug/weapons offenses
- John Hanriot, age 42, Somerville: Drug/weapons offenses
- Gabriel Rodriguez, age 41, Branchburg: Drug offenses
The following individuals were arrested on March 2, 2022 for Conspiracy and Attempt to Possess a Controlled Dangerous Substance:
- Robert Carlson, age 53, Bridgewater, NJ
- Nicole Jackson, age 42, Bridgewater, NJ
- Doreen Johnson, age 59, South Bound Brook, NJ
- James Lopez, age 42, Hillsborough, NJ
- Jessie Lopez, age 40, Bound Brook, NJ
- James Matthews, age 48, Somerset, NJ
- Robert McCarter, age 61, Hillsborough, NJ
- Shawn Packard, age 49, Belvidere, NJ
- Michael Piomelli, age 56, Somerset, NJ
- James Simoncelli, age 58, South Bound Brook, NJ
- Elizabeth Wooden, age 54, Piscataway, NJ
- Paula Zapata, age 56, Somerset, NJ
The following individuals were charged with Conspiracy and Attempt to Possess a Controlled Dangerous Substance but have not yet been arrested:
- Robert Dolan Sr., age 70, Bridgewater, NJ
- John Kevin Hale, age 49, South Bound Brook, NJ
The drugs seized during this investigation have an estimated street value as follows:
- Cocaine - $42,000
- Methamphetamine - $105,560
- Marijuana - $90,000
- Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC)/hashish - $19,000
- Psilocybin mushrooms - $800
- Methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) - $540
- Heroin - $20
The New Jersey State Police, New Jersey State Police TEAMS, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Tactical Narcotics Team, Somerset County SWAT Team, Warren County Tactical Response Team, United States Postal Inspection Service Newark Division, Bound Brook Police Department, Bridgewater Police Department, Somerville Police Department, Branchburg Police Department, Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, and the K-9 Units from the Somerset County Sherriff’s Office, Bound Brook Police Department, New Brunswick Police Department, Clinton Township Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Newark Field Division all assisted in the investigation.
Acting Prosecutor Chirichella and Chief Fodor request anyone with information regarding this investigation or the whereabouts of the two outstanding defendants to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Organized Crime and Narcotics Task Force at 908-231-7100 or via the STOPit app. The STOPit app allows citizens to provide anonymous reports including videos and photos. STOPit can be downloaded to your smart phone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: SOMERSETNJ. Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477). All anonymous STOPit reports and Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Northern Highlands and receive free news updates.
