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Friday, jun 5
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
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
Raid
: $152K In Cash, Grow Tents, Shrooms Seized From Bergen County Man, Cops Say
A late-night call for a suspicious person in Fair Lawn led police to uncover what they say was a full-fledged drug operation—and more than $150,000 in cash, authorities said. It happened on Monday, May 20, at approximately 11:09 p.m., according to Fair Lawn Police Sgt. Eric Eleshewich. Officers responding to Ward Street encountered Timothy S. Brown, 62, after neighbors reported a man walking up and down driveways. Brown had a “large rucksack,” police said, and began acting suspiciously near the front door of a home. Officers handcuffed Brown and noticed that the front door to a neighboring…
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…
Police & Fire
Assault Case Uncovers Machetes, 17 Lbs Of Pot, 900+ Xanax Pills In Bergen County: Cops
A two-week investigation into an assault led Fair Lawn detectives to a major drug bust that turned up 17 pounds of marijuana, more than 900 Xanax pills, and two machetes, police said. The search happened on Friday, April 11, around 7:30 p.m., when Detective Anthony Lugo and the Fair Lawn Police Detective Bureau executed a search warrant at a residence on Pellington Drive, according to Sgt. Eric Eleshewich. Inside the home, police found two machetes and what they described as “numerous indicators of drug distribution and manufacturing.” A second search warrant followed, and that’s when polic…
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
Passaic County Residents Among 23 Arrested In Another Major Drug Bust: Prosecutor
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 Drug Raids Lead To Multiple Arrests, Guns, Cash Seized: Wayne PD
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 NJ Traffic Stop:
Njstp
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
Man Sexually Assaulted Child In Passaic, Provided Alcohol: Prosecutor
A 28-year-old Ridgefield Park man is accused of sexually assaulting a victim when they were a pre-teen and as a teenager, and giving them marijuana and alcohol on one occasion, authorities said. Ronal P. Vasquez allegedly sexually assaulted the child between ages 13 and 16 in Garfield and gave them marijuana and alcohol, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said citing an investigation launched on Dec. 29, 2024. Vasquez previously sexually assaulted the child twice when they were under 13 years old in Lodi and Passaic, Musella added. Vasquez was arrested in Ridgefield Park on Tuesday, Jan…
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…
Police & Fire
Mugshots Released: SWAT Raid Uncovers 28K Fentanyl Pills, Meth, Ghost Guns In Bergen County
A major drug bust in Bergen County led to the seizure of tens of thousands of fentanyl-laced pills, along with cocaine, methamphetamine, marijuana, and untraceable firearms, authorities said in announcing the arrests of the three men behind it. Ramon Morillo, 39, of Fort Lee; Brandon Morillo, 31, of Lodi; and Joseph Diaz, 34, of Fort Lee, were arrested on Thursday, Nov. 7, following a months-long investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotic Task Force, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said. The investigation began in July 2024, when detectives identified Mo…
Police & Fire
Clifton Driver Asleep At Wheel Had Heroin, Cocaine In Lyndhurst: Police
A 37-year-old man who police found asleep behind the wheel of a car was found with drugs and more than $1,100 in cash, police in Bergen County said. Lyndhurst Police Officer Dorio approached a Toyota Corolla stopped in the middle of the 300 block of Harding Avenue around 3:35 a.m. Monday, Oct. 28, where a man later identified as Daniel Barro Jr., of Clifton, was sleeping behind the wheel, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said. With the vehicle running and still in drive, Dorio rendered the vehicle safe before waking Barro. "Upon learning of the police presence, Barro attempted to conceal …
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
Passaic Man, Bloomfield Duo Stole $100K+ In Business Checks From Mailboxes: Police
Two men and a woman from North Jersey were accused of stealing more than $100,000 in business checks from Wall Township mailboxes, authorities said. James Miller, 37, of Passaic; Kaleik Easton, 29, of Bloomfield; and Asia Harrell, 31, also from Bloomfield; were arrested, the Wall Township Police Department said in a news release. Investigators said businesses were defrauded out of more than $100,000 after checks were taken from their mailboxes. Police executed two search warrants at the suspects' homes and they were taken into custody on Wednesday, Sept. 19. Detectives …
Police & Fire
18 Pounds Of Pot Seized From Consignment Shop Drug Ring Bloomingdale, Butler Trio: 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…
News
$8K, Oxy, More Drugs Seized From Passaic County Dealers After Wayne Investigation: Cops
A pair of Passaic County men have been arrested for drug dealing, authorities said. A concerned resident tipped Wayne police off, who launched an investigation with help from the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Haledon Police Department, the Pompton Lakes Police Department and the Wayne Police Patrol Division, police said. Police began surveillance on Louis C. Colao, 50, of Prospect Park, and Armando Verdina, 45, of Paterson, on Tuesday, July 24, Wayne Police Capt. Daniel Daly said. Officers watched as Colao carried out drug deals in various Wayne Township parking lots, Daly s…
News
50 Hollow Point Bullets, Pound Of Pot Seized On Route 17 Right Outside Police HQ: Paramus PD
A pound of marijuana, methamphetamine, and a gun loaded with 50 hollow-point bullets were seized from two men in a routine motor vehicle stop along Route 17 right outside of Paramus police headquarters, authorities said. Paramus Police Officer Cesar Hurtado stopped a 2006 black Chevy 4-door for several motor vehicle violations on the northbound side of the highway in the area of Carlough Drive, where the Paramus Police Department is located, around 12:30 a.m. Wednesday, July 10, Chief Robert Guidetti said. A search of the vehicle turned up approximately one pound of marijuana in a clear pla…
Police & Fire
Paterson Drug Dealer Charged In OD Death Of Westwood Victim, 38, Prosecutor Says
A 39-year-old Paterson man has been charged with providing the drugs that allegedly resulted in a fatal overdose of a Westwood man in May, authorities said. Jesus A. Cantillo is believed to have provided the drugs that led to the death of 38-year-old Lance Kerness, of Westwood, who was found unresponsive in a home on May 2, 2024, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella said on Friday, June 28. Kerness was pronounced dead at the scene, Musella said. Indicators of a possible drug overdose were noted, and detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotic Task Force were no…
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…
Police & Fire
17 Arrested, Six Wanted In Massive NJ Fentanyl Mill, Drug-Dealing Operation: Prosecutors
Seventeen people were arrested and six more were wanted in a large drug-dealing operation throughout Monmouth County, authorities said. An eight-month investigation seized hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of drugs that were funneled from Passaic and Somerset counties, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago said in a news release on Monday, June 24. "The arrests and seizures being announced today mark the end result of a herculean investigative effort involving innumerable moving parts, all seamlessly coordinated with the help of more than two dozen other law enforcement agencies,…
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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