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Three of the men named in the indictment are also charged in connection to the fatal February 2019 shooting of Demond Tally in Atlantic City, according to Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon G. Tyner.
Since March 2017, an investigation was conducted by the ACPO Guns, Gangs and Narcotics Unit into Steven Martinez, 27, and Shiraz Khan, 31, for operating a large-scale drug distribution organization in Atlantic County, Tyner said.
As the alleged leaders of this organization Martinez and Khan supplied heroin, cocaine, Suboxone, Percocet and marijuana to be sold by dozens of drug dealers for the organization, the prosecutor said.
“The four year investigation of the activities of the criminal organization led by Steven Martinez and Shiraz Kahn is a credit to the women and men of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office and many of the local law enforcement agencies that provided assistance, such as Egg Harbor Twp. Police Department, Atlantic City Police Department, and Galloway Twp. Police Department,” Tyner said.
Khan continued to operate this drug ring while jailed at the Atlantic County Justice Facility, according to Tyner, by using cellphones and narcotics he had smuggled into the jail by Correctional Police Officer Luis Mercado.
Assets seized also included eight parcels of land in Hamilton Township, Pleasantville and Buena Borough and three vehicles, Tyner said.
In addition to drug offenses in the indictment, Tyner said that Martinez, along with Shamar Scott, 25, and Deshawn Hose, 23, are charged with the Atlantic City shooting death of Demond Tally, 45, on Feb. 10, 2019.
“While we know that these charges will not bring their loved one back, we hope that this will bring some comfort and peace to the Tally family,” said Atlantic City Police Interim Officer in Charge James A. Sarkos.
Chief Assistant Prosecutor Seth Levy is handling the case.
Investigations are ongoing.
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