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Passaic Prosecutor: Pot Probe Produces 14 Arrests, Drugs, $267K Cash

PATERSON, N.J. – A Passaic County prosecutor’s task force smashed a pot-selling network that stretched across four counties with the arrests of 14 people and the seizure of 10 pounds each of pot and THC, more than two pounds of candy laced with the drug and $267,000 in alleged illegal profits during a series of quick-strike raids, authorities said Monday.

The lineup.

The lineup.

Photo Credit: MAGES: Courtesy PASSAIC COUNTY PROSECUTOR
Camelia Valdes

Camelia Valdes

Photo Credit: COURTESY: Passaic County Prosecutor

The Sunday morning raids saw search warrants executed in Oakland, Maywood, Ringwood, Morris Plains, Haskell, Bloomingdale, Glenwood and Hewitt, Passaic County Pasaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said.

Besides the drugs an cash, detectives turned up several bongs, heat sealers, vacuum sealers, scales and empty plastic bags commonly use for packaging drugs for sale, she said.

They charged Darren Richardson, 33, of Haskell with being the leader of a drug traffic network and both him and Beatrice Ramirez, 23, of Ringwood with money laundering.

Another defendant, Giovannie Henderson, was charged with maintaining a drug production facility.

The charge against the rest ranged from maintain of operating a drug production facility to possession of marijuana.

Richardson and Ramirez “would mail large sums of United States currency to the state of California and that Darren Richardson would travel to the state of California to arrange for the shipment of marijuana to…New Jersey,” Valdes said.

“Once the packages of marijuana arrived [in] New Jersey, Darren Richardson and Beatrice Ramirez would take the marijuana to 920 Tabor Road, Morris Plains, New Jersey and prepare the marijuana for distribution to individuals and residential homes located within several counties in New Jersey -- specifically, Passaic, Bergen, Morris, and Sussex,” she said.

A judge set bail for Darren Richardson at $500,000 cash and Beatrice Ramirez’s bail at $350,000.

Valdes thanked and credited the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force Unit with playing an “integral role” with the investigation, along with police from Wanaque,

Bloomingdale, Ringwood Wayne.

She identified those charged as:

Darren Richardson, 33, of Haskell

Beatrice Ramirez, 23, of Ringwood

Linda Ramirez, 20, of Ringwood

Dylan Jung, 20, of Haskell

Gavin Nazzaro, 23, of Ringwood

Haythem Mohamed-Ahmed, 20, of Bloomingdale

Matthew Kozuch, 22, of Ringwood

Russell Licht, 21, of Maywood

Giovannie Henderson, 29, of Morris Plains

Daniel Ramirez, 23, of Ringwood

Mark Iannacone, 48, of Glenwood

Henry Nowinski, 21, of West Milford

Janelle Locket, 28, of Parsippany

Jesse Baron, 36, of Oakland

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