FEDS: NJ Men Busted Following Three Fentanyl-Laced NYC Drug-Delivery Deaths FEDS: NJ Men Busted Following Three Fentanyl-Laced NYC Drug-Delivery Deaths
Feds: NJ Men Busted Following Three Fentanyl-Laced NYC Drug-Delivery Deaths Two North Jersey men worked for a drug-courier service that peddled fentanyl-laced cocaine responsible for killing three customers in a single day, federal authorities in Manhattan charged. Billy "Jason" Ortega, 35, of West Milford was the dispatcher who sent Kaylen Rainey, 30, of Manhattan to three different city addresses on March 17, 2021 after promoting "new batches" of drugs, an FBI complaint on file in the Southern District Court of Manhattan alleges. Three customers -- Amanda Scher, Julia Ghahramani and Ross Mtangi -- all died after ingesting the coke, authorities said. Scher texted…
Feds: Carjacker Admits Firing Shots Into Vehicle At Route 78 Entrance Ramp In Newark Feds: Carjacker Admits Firing Shots Into Vehicle At Route 78 Entrance Ramp In Newark
Feds: Carjacker Admits Firing Shots Into Vehicle At Route 78 Entrance Ramp In Newark A carjacker from Newark admitted firing shots into an SUV after the intended target rammed his car and sped off, federal authorities said. Antwan Malone, 34, told a federal judge in Newark that he'd pulled up alongside the BMW M5 that was stopped at a light at the westbound Route 78 entrance ramp on Irvine Turner Boulevard on Feb. 22, 2021 and blocked it from entering the highway, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. He said he then pointed a gun in the driver's face and threatened to shoot while ordering the person out, Sellinger said. "The driver was able to escape by r…
Jersey City Five Charged With Murder Of Rival Gang Member, Innocent Girl, 17 Jersey City Five Charged With Murder Of Rival Gang Member, Innocent Girl, 17
Jersey City Five Charged With Murder Of Rival Gang Member, Innocent Girl, 17 Five reputed members of a Jersey City street gang were charged federally with murder in the shooting deaths the same week of a rival and a 17-year-old female bystander. Shaquan "Nut" Rush and Darby "GoHard" Shirden, both 21, and Jeremy "Smoov" Perez, 23, opened fire on a group of people outside the Salem Lafayette Apartments on April 1, 2020 in retaliation for the killing the day before of a high-ranking member of their Rutgers Avenue gang, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. Two people were wounded, one of them an 18-year-old associate of the Salem Lafayette gang who survived the shoo…
Pagans Shoot At Hells Angel On NJ Turnpike After Baseball Bat Bar Brawl, Feds Charge Pagans Shoot At Hells Angel On NJ Turnpike After Baseball Bat Bar Brawl, Feds Charge
Pagans Shoot At Hells Angel On NJ Turnpike After Baseball Bat Bar Brawl, Feds Charge Two high-ranking members of the Pagans who were beaten with baseball bats in a barroom brawl sought revenge by shooting at one of the Hells Angels on the New Jersey Turnpike, federal authorities charged. Larry "Savage" Ortiz, 31, of Elizabeth, and Junius "Jayo" Aquino, aka 38, of Vauxhall, were in a Verona bar when they were attacked on Oct. 21, 2020, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said. A week later, the pair shot at an associate of the rival biker gang "in retaliation for the Verona assault," an indictment returned by a grand jury in Newark charges. The indictment retur…
NJ Ring That Dealt Fentanyl, Crack Smashed By Federal, County, Local Crime-Fighting Team NJ Ring That Dealt Fentanyl, Crack Smashed By Federal, County, Local Crime-Fighting Team
NJ Ring That Dealt Fentanyl, Crack Smashed By Federal, County, Local Crime-Fighting Team Eleven accused members of a drug ring that authorities said openly peddled crack and potentially fatal fentanyl in a Newark neighborhood were charged federally on Wednesday. The ring's "primary supplier," Frazier Burton, 46, was caught with 100 bricks of heroin and fentanyl when tactical officers arrested him Wednesday morning, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. At 50 bags per brick, that's 5,000 individual packages -- all of which Honig said carried the neighborhood drug network's particular stamps. The case took several months for an ad hoc team of local, county and federal inve…
Son Of Bergen County Executive Charged With Impersonating Police Officer In Florida Son Of Bergen County Executive Charged With Impersonating Police Officer In Florida
Son Of Bergen County Executive Charged With Impersonating Police Officer In Florida The son of Bergen County Executive Jim Tedesco was arrested on charges of impersonating a law enforcement officer on Route 95 in Florida, authorities said. James J. Tedesco IV, 43, of Nanuet had an NYPD jacket and DEA hat with him, as well as two AR-15 rifles, 1,139 rounds of ammo and a bag loaded with gas mask equipment and suits, when he was stopped on the southbound interstate in Vero Beach shortly after 4:30 p.m. Monday, the Indian River County Sheriff’s Office said. He was arrested, processed and sent to the county jail about 2½ hours later, records show. Tedesco posted a $26,000 b…
FBI Makes Arrest In Jersey City Gang War FBI Makes Arrest In Jersey City Gang War
FBI Makes Arrest In Jersey City Gang War An ongoing gang war in Jersey City led to the arrest by federal authorities of a man accused in one shooting and implicated in another. Shamar Bey, 29, a reputed member of the SaLaf gang, opened fire at a gas station at Gates Avenue and Kennedy Boulevard after following a rival from Ocean and Neptune avenues on June 19, 2020, an FBI complaint on file in U.S. District Court in Newark says. A city surveillance camera helped identify him, the FBI said. Less than 24 hours after that shooting, three people entered the Salem-Lafayette housing project -- where SaLaf operates -- and shot into a cr…
Feds: Six Jersey City Gang-Bangers Charged With Stabbing Rival Feds: Six Jersey City Gang-Bangers Charged With Stabbing Rival
Feds: Six Jersey City Gang-Bangers Charged With Stabbing Rival Federal authorities have charged six purported members of a Jersey City gang with stabbing a rival in broad daylight on a busy city street. All were part of a street gang that operated in and around the Curries Woods housing complex near the Bayonne border, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today. On Aug. 3, 2020, they sought out the victim and stabbed him, Honig said. The victim was critically injured but survived, she said. Charged with assault with a dangerous weapon in aid of racketeering: Sheldon “Thottie” Mays, 21; Jermaine “Maine” Jennings, 20; Divine “Dee” Abraham, …
Feds: Unregistered Firearms, Fake FBI, DEA Badges Found In Raid Of Rockland Deputy Mayor's Home Feds: Unregistered Firearms, Fake FBI, DEA Badges Found In Raid Of Rockland Deputy Mayor's Home
Feds: Unregistered Firearms, Fake FBI, DEA Badges Found In Raid Of Rockland Deputy Mayor's Home The deputy mayor of a Rockland County village who's already facing state charges for a trove of unregistered guns found at his home was charged by federal authorities with having a collection of phony badges and ID cards that identify him as working for the FBI, DEA and other law enforcement agencies, records show. Investigators reported a startling discovery when they showed up with a search warrant last week at the home of Brian Downey, a 47-year-old Republican who was elected deputy mayor of the village of Airmont in 2019. Downey was taken into custody after no fewer than 16 unregistere…
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…
Feds Charge Reputed Jersey City Gang Member With Gunning Down Rival Feds Charge Reputed Jersey City Gang Member With Gunning Down Rival
Feds Charge Reputed Jersey City Gang Member With Gunning Down Rival Federal authorities have charged a reputed gang member from Jersey City with murder in the shooting death of a rival during a running feud between allied crews. Acting U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Rachael A. Honig announced Tuesday that her office has taken over the prosecution of Phillip Wiggins Jr. of Newark for the March 31, 2020 slaying of Damone “Munch” Smith. Wiggins, 24, who investigators say belongs to the Wilkinson Avenue gang, shot Smith in the chest near the corner of Rose and Cator avenues.  Smith, 25, was brought by private vehicle to Jersey City Medical Center, where he …
Feds: Purported NJ Gang Members Indicted On Murder, Attempted Murder Charges Feds: Purported NJ Gang Members Indicted On Murder, Attempted Murder Charges
Feds: Purported NJ Gang Members Indicted On Murder, Attempted Murder Charges Three purported members of the Rollin' 60s Neighborhood Crips gang were indicted on charges of murder and attempted murder Wednesday, federal officials said. Elijah Williams, aka “Lil Smith,” 21; Jason Franklin, aka “Freak,” aka “OG Freak,” 37; and Tre Byrd, aka “Bands,” aka “G Bandz,” 20 -- all of Newark -- were charged by indictment with Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) conspiracy, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said. Williams is accused of shooting four individuals and hitting two in Newark on Sept. 25, 2018, authorities said. Both victims survived the at…