Alleged leader of drug-trafficking ring arrested again

An Atlantic City man already charged as the leader of a drug-trafficking ring was arrested again Monday after investigators allegedly found a kilogram of heroin and a stolen gun inside his car. Ameer Stephens, 35, was originally arrested in July as part of a ring that include 41 defendants and resulted in seizure of a half-million in drugs. He was arrested Monday, when detectives, led by Darrin Lorady, found the drugs and gun. Stephens appeared in court Tuesday via video. The heroin and gun were found inside a trap inside the car, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Anne Crater told the judge. A kilogram of heroin is worth $80,000 as a whole, but can be worth more once broken down for sale. It would make about 35,000 individual bags of heroin, Sgt. Kevin Fair said. They also found a pound of marijuana and a loaded gun with an extended magazine that was reported stolen from Georgia. The state has filed a motion to detain Stephens and also to revoke the bail on the pending charges. The new charges include leading a drug-trafficking network and employing a juvenile in the commission of a drug crime. Crater told the judge the two cases are related, but public defender Ray Lee said the new charges should be heard separately. Defense attorney Hal Kokes, who is handling the previous case, declined comment before the detention hearing set for Thursday.