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Thursday, jun 18
Tag:
Marijuana
Police & Fire
SWAT Raid Uncovers Massive NJ Drug Operation: Police
A 44-year-old Hudson County man was arrested after detectives uncovered drugs and an illegal firearm during a raid in West New York, authorities said. On Thursday, March 26, detectives executed a search warrant at a residence on the 6400 block of Bergenline Avenue as part of an investigation into the illegal drug distribution, West New York Police Capt. Ed Rivera said. Heriberto Rivera, a West New York resident, was taken into custody after detectives recovered significant quantities of suspected cocaine, heroin, psilocybin mushrooms, and marijuana, along with an illegal fi…
Police & Fire
Loaded Ghost Gun Found In Dorm Room: Florham Park PD
A 21-year-old Willingboro resident was arrested and charged after he was dealing drugs from a college dorm in Florham Park on Wednesday, Jan. 14, authorities said. That day, detectives conducted an investigation, resulting in the securing of unregulated marijuana, a significant amount of evidence pertaining to drug distribution, and a loaded handgun, Florham Park police said. The handgun was a "ghost gun," police said, who also located a loaded-high capacity magazine. Shawn Alexander is charged with numerous weapons and drug offenses, police said. The school where the arrest took pla…
Police & Fire
$48 Million Worth Of Marijuana, THC Seized In Warren County:
Njsp
Two Texas residents were arrested and charged after more than $48 million worth of marijuana, THC and THC/cannabis products were seized from a truck in Warren County, authorities announced Wednesday, Sept. 17. On Wednesday, Sept. 10, the Mobile Safe Freight Unit conducted a commercial vehicle inspection on I-78 East in Greenwich Township, Warren County, on a tractor-trailer operated by Vethanayagam Venches, New Jersey State Police said. While conducting the inspection, the odor of marijuana was present along with indicators of trafficking activity, police said. A subsequent…
Police & Fire
Drug
Bust
: 121 Pounds Of Marijuana, LSD, Meth Seized In NJ Raid, Cops Say
Six people are facing charges after police seized large quantities of drugs — including marijuana, LSD, methamphetamine, and cocaine — from a New Jersey home, authorities said. The Sunday, Aug. 25 search warrant was carried out by detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force, along with multiple law enforcement agencies, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said. The search turned up approximately 121 pounds of marijuana, 100 pounds of THC products, 75 pounds of cannabis concentrate, seven sheets of LSD, two pounds of methamphetamine, 20 pounds of…
News
21 Arrested In Massive Philly Suburbs Cocaine Trafficking Bust By PA, NJ Agencies
A high-level cocaine trafficking organization has been dismantled following a sweeping investigation across eastern Pennsylvania, Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Saturday, Sept. 6. Investigators charged 21 individuals connected to the Jimmie Torres–led operation, which allegedly ran primarily out of north Philadelphia with extensions into Bucks and Montgomery counties, according to the release. Among those arrested were Torres and his son, Matthew Torres, who oversaw the enterprise when his father was in Puerto Rico. Authorities said 16 suspects were taken into custody Thursday ac…
News
Penn State Grad, Real Estate Agent Among 14 Caught In PA Prostitution Sting
A Penn State graduate and a local real estate agent are among 14 men arrested in a human trafficking sting in Cumberland County, authorities announced on Monday, Aug. 25. The arrests were made during Operation Impact Demand XII, which was conducted on Wednesday, Aug. 14, at a hotel in East Pennsboro Township, according to a release by the Cumberland County District Attorney’s Office. The operation was led by the Cumberland County Human Trafficking Task Force in coordination with the East Pennsboro and Silver Spring Township Police Departments. The following men allegedly solicited female es…
News
Rooftop Chase, NJ Fugitive, Switch Guns: PA AG Sunday’s Philly Task Force Nabs 7 Armed Felons
A violent felon chased across a North Philly rooftop. A wanted man tied to New Jersey. Teens flaunting illegal machine gun-modified pistols on social media. All arrested in a wave of takedowns led by Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday’s Philadelphia Gun Violence Task Force, officials announced Tuesday, July 15. Philly Gun Task Force Targets Repeat Offenders Seven people — including convicted shooters and suspected drug traffickers — were recently arrested in coordinated raids across Philadelphia, state prosecutors said. The cases involve illegal switches that convert pistols into fu…
Police & Fire
Drug Dealer With 130 Lbs Of Pot Kidnaps Uber Driver While Fleeing From PA To NJ: Prosecutor
A 27-year-old Manchester, CT man is facing kidnapping charges after he forced an Uber driver to help him flee from the police on Thursday, June 5, authorities said. New Jersey State Police responded to a notification from Pennsylvania State Police about a pursuit of Drew Earlington in a motor vehicle from Lebanon, PA, the Hunterdon County Prosecutor's Office said. Drew Earlington had called an Uber to help him flee to New Jersey, unlawfully confining the driver for a substantial period of time as he tried to evade Pennsylvania police, authorities said The Uber driver surreptitiously contac…
Police & Fire
Chicago Woman Had Loaded Gun, Hollow Point Bullets: Denville PD
A 25-year-old Chicago woman was arrested and charged with multiple weapons offenses following a traffic stop in Denville on Wednesday morning, May 28, authorities said. At 12:40 a.m., officers conducted a traffic stop on Route 80 westbound for careless driving, Denville police said. The driver, Gabriella Neris, was found to be in possession of a loaded firearm containing hollow point ammunition, police said. Neris was charged with unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of hollow point ammunition, careless driving and having an open container of marijuana in a motor vehicle, police sai…
Police & Fire
NJ Teen Busted Selling Fake IDs After Year-Long Investigation: Madison Borough PD
An 18-year-old Madison Borough resident was arrested and charged on Monday, May 5 with dealing drugs and selling fake government documents, authorities said. Massimo Suzuki-Scotti was charged with two counts of selling/transferring fake government documents, two counts of distributing LSD, money laundering and receiving stolen property, among numerous other offenses, following a yearlong investigation, Madison Borough police said. Caitlyn Van Order, a 23-year-old Madison resident was arrested the next day at Suzuki-Scotti’s residence and charged with possessing psychedelic mushrooms and mar…
News
200+ Pounds Of Marijuana Worth $875K Seized At Baltimore Port, Bound For Belgium: CBP
A massive shipment of marijuana — more than 200 pounds — was intercepted at a Baltimore air cargo facility before it could make its way to Belgium, federal officials announced. According to US Customs and Border Protection, officers discovered 155 vacuum-sealed packages of marijuana during an inspection of air cargo manifested as “brace overalls for men / heavy duty workwear bib.” The weed was seized at the airport. US Customs and Border Protection Instead, officers found 91.3 kilograms — or 201 pounds and five ounces — of high-quality marijuana. The load had an estimated stree…
Police & Fire
Gun With Hollow Points, Open Booze, Weed Found During Route 46 Traffic Stop: Cops
A Newark man was arrested after Clifton police say they found a loaded ghost gun, high-capacity magazine, hollow point bullets, and weed packaged for sale during a traffic stop just after midnight. The stop happened around 12:38 a.m. on Wednesday, April 30, near Route 46 West and Route 21 South, according to Clifton Police Lt. Robert Anderson. Officers Benjamin Bressel and Samantha Beazley pulled over a 2019 Honda Accord for multiple traffic violations. The driver, a 23-year-old woman from Newark, was accompanied by Carnell Goodwin, 20, of Newark, who was seated in the back seat. Police sa…
News
67 Pounds Of Weed Seized As Pennsylvania Man Busted For Firearm Trafficking At JFK: DA
A man accused of fueling gun violence through illegal firearm sales was caught smuggling 67 pounds of marijuana at JFK Airport, authorities announced on Monday, March 17. Ian Diaz-Reales, 27, of Reading, Pennsylvania, was arrested on March 2 while attempting to board an outbound flight with the massive drug stash, according to the Berks County District Attorney’s Office. Diaz-Reales had already been wanted for allegedly purchasing multiple firearms and illegally funneling them to criminals involved in drug trafficking, gang activity, and violence, authorities said. The Berks County Gun Viol…
Police & Fire
Underage Unlicensed DWI Driver Busted On Route 46 After Driving Erratically: Mt Olive PD
A 20-year-old Hackettstown man was arrested and charged with driving while intoxicated in Budd Lake on Thursday, March 13, authorities said. At 1:54 a.m., officers responded to Route 46 on a report of an erratic driver and found a silver Hyundai stopped in the intersection of Route 46 and North Mt. Olive Road, Mt. Olive police said. The vehicle, driven by Jordan Griffith, remained stopped at the intersection through a full cycle of the light, failing to proceed when the light turned green, police said. As police spoke with Griffith they detected the odor of burnt marijuana and he …
Police & Fire
23 People Arrested In Another Massive NJ Drug Bust: Fentanyl, Guns, Seized, Prosecutor Says
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
Massive North Jersey Drug Raid: Multiple Arrests, Guns, Cash Seized, 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…
Police & Fire
$36 Million In Drugs Seized During Warren County Traffic Stop:
Njsp
Two people were arrested after $36 million worth of drugs were seized during a motor vehicle stop in Warren County on Tuesday, Feb. 18, authorities said. The Mobile Safe Freight Unit was conducting a commercial vehicle inspection on Route 78 East in Greenwich Township when it was determined the vehicle was transporting of marijuana, New Jersey State Police said. . A subsequent search of the trailer led to the seizure of approximately 8,042.2 pounds of raw hydroponic marijuana, 12,062 pounds of various cannabis/THC products, and 13.4 pounds of psilocybin products, police said. The tota…
Police & Fire
Registered Sex Offender ID'd As Man Who Sexually Assaulted Teen In Fort Lee: Complaint
The Fort Lee man charged with sexually assaulting a missing New York City girl has been identified as a registered sex offender. In 2017, Marc Piovanetti was convicted of rape of a child under 15 years old, criminal sex act on a victim incapable of consent/mentally disabled, and sexual performance by child under 16/access to view, records show (see below). Marc Piovanetti charges/convictions NY Sex Offender Registry This month, 58-year-old Piovanetti was arrested again. Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said Piovanetti was talking to a girl between 13 and 16 years old on s…
Police & Fire
NJ Pawn Shop Owner Tied To Burglary Of QB Joe Burrow's Home: DOJ
A 43-year-old North Bergen man was arrested and charged this week for serving as a fence for stolen property, including items stolen from the home of Cincinnati Bengals quarterback Joe Burrow, authorities said. Dimitry Nezhinskiy along with Juan Villar, a New York resident, ran a pawn shop in the Diamond District that worked with South American theft groups, purchasing stolen watches, jewelry and other luxury items and then reselling them in their store, John J. Durham, United States Attorney for the Eastern District of New York said. Nezhinskiy and Villar regularly served as “fen…
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…
News
NJ Woman Sneaks 26 Pounds Of Pot Disguised As Christmas Gifts Into Virgin Islands: Feds
A New Jersey woman is facing federal charges for trying to smuggle more than 26 pounds of marijuana disguised as Christmas gifts into the U.S. Virgin Islands, authorities said. Ceestra Burgess, 23, of Irvington, had arrived at the Henry Rohlsen Airport in St. Croix on a Spirit Airlines flight from Fort Lauderdale when, during a luggage inspection, a Customs and Border Protection canine alerted to the presence of drugs in Burgess’ checked bag, according to a release from the U.S. Attorneys Office for the District of Virgin Islands. The luggage was then placed on the baggage claim carous…
Police & Fire
Rockaway Man Distributed Guns, Cocaine: Prosecutor
A 32-year-old Rockaway Borough man was arrested and charged on Tuesday, Sept. 3 with distributing cocaine and a firearm in Morris County over the course of four months authorities said. Between April an August 2024, Santiago Escobar distributed over 5 ounces of cocaine, a Taurus handgun, and hollow nose bullets in Rockaway, Acting Morris County Prosecutor Bradford Seabury, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Rockaway Borough Police Department Chief of Police Conrad Pepperman said. On Tuesday, approximately 100 grams of coca…
Police & Fire
18 Pounds Of Pot Seized From Consignment Shop Drug Ring Trio In North Jersey: Police
Three people have been arrested after authorities uncovered a massive drug ring being run out of a North Jersey thrift store. Search warrants executed at businesses, storage units, and vehicles in Bloomingdale, Newton, and Wayne turned up 18 pounds of marijuana and 1.13 pounds of psilocybin mushrooms, Bloomingdale police said. Jesse A Baron, 43, of Bloomingdale, and Ryan T Smith, 36, of Butler, and Daniel F. Valerio, 39, of Bloomingdale, were slapped with various drug possession and distribution charges for running the scheme out of Thrifty Hippie Consignments on Main Street in Bloomin…
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
Uniformed Detective Flashes Smug Grin In New Mugshot After Heroin, Drug Arrest In Newark
A newly-released mugshot shows a 41-year-old Newark police detective smugly grinning amidst being charged with multiple drug offenses, including heroin possession. Ricardo Garden arrested by detectives from the Essex County Prosecutor’s Professional Standards Bureau on Thursday, June 20, after being found in possession of drugs, Prosecutor Theodore Stephens II said. Garden was charged with a litany of offenses: third-degree possession of heroin; third-degree possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute; possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute within 100…
News
DUI Driver Sentenced In NJ Turnpike Crash That Killed Philadelphia Passenger: Prosecutor
A 32-year-old driver from Philadelphia has been sentenced to three years in New Jersey State Prison in connection with a crash that killed his passenger in Edison, authorities said. Yvenson Louis, 32, was sentenced on June 12 in connection with the fatal crash that occurred on March 27, 2023, according to Middlesex County Prosecutor Yolanda Ciccone. At approximately 2:40 a.m., New Jersey State Police responded to the southbound side of the New Jersey Turnpike at mile marker 87.5. Troopers found two vehicles, a 2012 Dodge Journey that had struck the rear of a 2019 Vo…
Police & Fire
5-Pound Pot Bust Behind School Sidelines Dealer: Elmwood Park PD
An Elmwood Park man who'd parked behind a local school had five pounds of pot for sale in his car, authorities said. Officers approached the vehicle, which was parked behind the Gantner Avenue School, shortly before 9 a.m. on a Sunday, Elmwood Park Police Chief Michael Foligno said. They found Richard Wochinger, 45, with a pound of marijuana each packed into five vacuum-sealed bags, a digital scale and assorted paraphernalia, the chief said. Wochinger was charged with possession and distribution of the pot, among other offenses, before being released pending court action.
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