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Historic Drug Seizure Near Atlantic City Nets Fentanyl, Heroin, Coke, Feds Say Historic Drug Seizure Near Atlantic City Nets Fentanyl, Heroin, Coke, Feds Say
Historic Drug Seizure Near Atlantic City Nets Fentanyl, Heroin, Coke, Feds Say Local and federal authorities seized more than 30 pounds of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine – the area’s largest narcotics haul in history -- while raiding a basement drug mill just outside Atlantic City, authorities said. A federal judge in Camden ordered via videoconference that Ricardo Clavijo, 39, who lives in the Egg Harbor Township home, and Christopher Gonzalez, 37, of Pleasantville, remain held without bail, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Each is charged with conspiring to have and sell more than a kilo of heroin. “By all accounts, this case represents the largest single…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
South Jersey Woman, 53, Caused Fentanyl Overdose Death, Prosecutor Says South Jersey Woman, 53, Caused Fentanyl Overdose Death, Prosecutor Says
South Jersey Woman, 53, Caused Fentanyl Overdose Death, Prosecutor Says A 53-year-old woman from South Jersey has been charged with several drug-related crimes in connection with a fatal overdose, authorities said. Linda Naulty of Mount Holly was charged Monday with first-degree strict liability for drug-induced death, according to  Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Lumberton Township Police Chief Nicholas Peditto. The charges stem from a Lumberton man's deadly overdose on fentanyl earlier this year, they said. Naulty was served with the charges at the Atlantic County Justice Facility in Mays Landing.  She was being held at the fac…

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by Jon Craig
News
Opioids Drive Highest Number Of OD Deaths Ever In US, While NJ Holds Steady, CDC Reports Opioids Drive Highest Number Of OD Deaths Ever In US, While NJ Holds Steady, CDC Reports
Opioids Drive Highest Number Of OD Deaths Ever In US, While NJ Holds Steady, CDC Reports Call it a statistical oddity: Despite an historic spike in drug overdose deaths across the United States last year, the total reported for New Jersey ticked up barely 1% over 2019 – compared with an increase of more than 32% in New York, over 17% in Pennsylvania and more than 10% in Connecticut, the CDC reported. More than 93,000 people across the country died from drug overdoses amid last year’s COVID-19 pandemic, according to the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics. That total represented a 29.4% increase from the 72,151 deaths projected nationwide for 2019, according to an annual…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Jersey Shore Man, 27, Indicted In Head-On DUI Crash That Killed H.S. Student, Prosecutor Says Jersey Shore Man, 27, Indicted In Head-On DUI Crash That Killed H.S. Student, Prosecutor Says
Jersey Shore Man, 27, Indicted In Head-On DUI Crash That Killed H.S. Student, Prosecutor Says A 27-year-old man from Ocean County has been indicted in connection with the death of a young girl in a head-on crash, authorities said.  Michael Pillarella of Manahawkin was indicted by a grand jury for vehicular homicide, aggravated manslaughter, assault by auto and other charges, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. The charges are in connection with a fatal crash on Jan. 30 in Little Egg Harbor that resulted in the death of a juvenile passenger in the other car, Billhimer said.  The young passenger died 10 days after the head-on crash and the driver…

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by Jon Craig
Police & Fire
New Brunswick Man Indicted For Causing Bedminster Woman's Fentanyl, Cocaine OD Death New Brunswick Man Indicted For Causing Bedminster Woman's Fentanyl, Cocaine OD Death
New Brunswick Man Indicted For Causing Bedminster Woman's Fentanyl, Cocaine OD Death A New Jersey man was indicted on charges that he caused the drug overdose death of a 37-year-old woman. Lashawn D. Boyd, 25, of New Brunswick, had been accused of selling the woman cocaine, fentanyl, 4-ANPP and tramadol in the days leading up to her death in January 2020 Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson said. Boyd was indicted on charges of first-degree strict liability for drug induced death, and four counts of third-degree distribution of a controlled dangerous substance. The woman had made arrangements to meet Boyd for a suspected drug deal between Jan. 16, 2020 and …

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by Cecilia Levine
News
NJ Man Arrested With 29 Bricks Of Heroin In Pennsylvania, Say State Police NJ Man Arrested With 29 Bricks Of Heroin In Pennsylvania, Say State Police
NJ Man Arrested With 29 Bricks Of Heroin In Pennsylvania, Say State Police Twenty-nine bricks of heroin and eight grams of fentanyl were found by Pennsylvania State Police during a traffic stop of a New Jersey man, according to state police. Altamir Baldwin, 28 of Woodbridge, was stopped for a traffic violation near mile marker 68.2 on Interstate 81 near Harrisburg on May 27, say PSP. In the passenger's side of the vehicle, 25 bricks of suspected heroin and eight grams of suspected fentanyl were found. An additional four bricks of heroin were found on Baldwin. Baldwin has been charged with the following: F Manufacture, Delivery, or Possession With Intent to M…

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by Jillian Pikora
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Paterson Man Goes To Federal Prison For Dealing Deadly Fentanyl Paterson Man Goes To Federal Prison For Dealing Deadly Fentanyl
Paterson Man Goes To Federal Prison For Dealing Deadly Fentanyl A Paterson man was sent to federal prison for 27 months after admitting that he collected what was more than two pounds of fentanyl for sale that was delivered to an address in Clifton. What Felix Acevedo, 29, didn’t know was that law enforcement officers had intercepted it. They removed the deadly synthetic opioid -- which authorities say is 50 times more potent than heroin and up to 100 times more powerful than morphine – and replaced it with a harmless substitute for what became a “controlled delivery.” Convicts technically can be sent to federal prison for life under the government’s s…

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by Jerry DeMarco
News
Feds: Member Of Ring That Trafficked Fentanyl-Laced Heroin Into NJ Bayshore Gets 7½ Years Feds: Member Of Ring That Trafficked Fentanyl-Laced Heroin Into NJ Bayshore Gets 7½ Years
Feds: Member Of Ring That Trafficked Fentanyl-Laced Heroin Into NJ Bayshore Gets 7½ Years A member of a drug ring that trafficked large quantities of heroin and cocaine into the Bayshore areas of Monmouth and Middlesex counties must spend the next 7½ years in federal prison. Daniel McHugh, 51, of Sayreville on Wednesday became the latest member of the ring sentenced in U.S. District Court in Trenton in connection with a federally-led sweep. Co-defendant Brian Hall, 49, of Freehold, meanwhile, was sentenced to eight months of home confinement and three years probation. Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said the two were part of a network that funneled heroin and cocaine int…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Jersey Shore Man Arrested In Connection With Fatal Fentanyl Overdose Jersey Shore Man Arrested In Connection With Fatal Fentanyl Overdose
Jersey Shore Man Arrested In Connection With Fatal Fentanyl Overdose A 34-year-old man from Ocean County has been arrested in connection with a woman's fatal drug overdose last year, authorities said. Jehmar Barrett of Lacey Township was charged on Thursday with strict liability drug induced death in connection with the fentanyl overdose of a 35-year-old woman in Toms River, according to Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer and Toms River Township Police Chief Mitchell Little. On Nov. 24, 2020, Toms River police responded to a residence on Alabama Avenue on a report of an unresponsive woman. Officers found the body of the victim, …

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by Jon Craig
News
Feds: NJ Drug Dealer Who Led High-Speed Chase Moved 15 Kilos Of Heroin, Had $400K Cash Feds: NJ Drug Dealer Who Led High-Speed Chase Moved 15 Kilos Of Heroin, Had $400K Cash
Feds: NJ Drug Dealer Who Led High-Speed Chase Moved 15 Kilos Of Heroin, Had $400K Cash A large-scale drug trafficker from Somerset County who led investigators on a high-speed chase was dealing major quantities of heroin laced with deadly fentanyl, federal authorities said. William T. Bouza, 46, of Watchung, initially eluded police during a chase but was captured a week later, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Authorities targeted Bouza after intercepting 33 pounds of heroin stashed in a secret compartment of a Mercedes shipped to New Jersey from California on a car carrier in February 2019, authorities said. Bouza was waiting for the drugs in Union but bolted afte…

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by Jerry DeMarco
Police & Fire
Philadelphia Drug Dealer Charged In Overdose Death of South Jersey Man, Prosecutor Says Philadelphia Drug Dealer Charged In Overdose Death of South Jersey Man, Prosecutor Says
Philadelphia Drug Dealer Charged In Overdose Death of South Jersey Man, Prosecutor Says A 41-year-old man from Philadelphia has been charged with causing the death of a South Jersey man who died of a heroin/fentanyl drug overdose, authorities said. Robert Quintua, of the 2500 block of Lefevre Street, was charged with first-degree strict liability for drug-Induced death, according to  Burlington County Prosecutor Scott Coffina and Mount Laurel Township Police Chief Stephen Riedener . Raymond Stutzer III, 44, of Marlton fatally overdosed last year in a Mount Laurel hotel, Coffina and Riedener said. Quintua was taken into custody in January, and extradited on…

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by Jon Craig
News
Trenton Dealer Admits Selling Fentanyl That Killed Monmouth Woman Trenton Dealer Admits Selling Fentanyl That Killed Monmouth Woman
Trenton Dealer Admits Selling Fentanyl That Killed Monmouth Woman A Trenton man admitted selling fentanyl packaged to look like heroin that killed a Monmouth County woman. The 39-year-old victim bought the fatal dose – in a package stabbed “CAMEL” – from Quasaan Bethea, 33, and others in May 2018, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Englishtown police responded soon after to a report of an overdose death and found several folds of “CAMEL” along with some empties, Honig said. An autopsy found that she died of “acute fentanyl toxicity,” the U.S. attorney said. Rather than go to trial, Bethea pleaded guilty in federal court in Trenton to possession…

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by Jerry DeMarco