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Nearly $850,000 in drugs seized, 31 charged in Ocean County led bust

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A street-level drug deal in Ocean County ended up disrupting flow of drugs into seven counties, and the dismantling of nine drug-production facilities, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato announced this week. Thirty-one people have been charged, as authorities seized nearly $850,000 worth of drugs and 20 guns. It was the county’s first investigation as part of the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area partnership, and the largest seizure in terms of drugs, money and scope in the history of the prosecutor’s Special Operations Group. “Operation Heading Back” was so named because it traced the origins of drugs being sold on the street corners. “As evidenced by the seizure of 90,000 doses of heroin and 20 firearms, this drug ring was not only fueling the epidemic of opiate addiction that is destroying so many lives in New Jersey, it was engaged in the variety of drug trafficking that drives much of the gun violence in our communities,” Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said. “The tremendous value of these DEA HIDTA Task Forces is that they facilitate the type of law enforcement collaboration that makes these far-reaching investigations possible. I commend Prosecutor Coronato, the DEA and all of the participating agencies for this outstanding operation.” Three people remain fugitives.

[ngg_images source="galleries" container_ids="1" display_type="photocrati-nextgen_basic_imagebrowser" ajax_pagination="0" order_by="sortorder" order_direction="ASC" returns="included" maximum_entity_count="500"] CHARGED Jihad Anderson, 38, Brick Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of heroin, possession of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of paraphernalia, unlawful possession of a high-capacity magazine, possession of heroin/fentanyl Laquan Anderson, 33, Parlin Maintaining or operating a drug-production facility, possession of a firearm while committing a drug offense, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of heroin, possession of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia Lorenzo Balmer, Piscataway Conspiracy to produce/manufacture/distribute heroin greater than 5 ounces, possession of heroin, possession with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm while committing a drug offense, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Reynard Bronson, 34, Newark Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of cocaine, possession of firearm while committing a drug offense, possession of drug paraphernalia Jocelyn Corniel, 34, Paterson Maintaining or operating a drug-production facility, financial facilitation of criminal activity, possession with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of heroin, possession of heroin, possession of Oxycodone, possession with intent to distribute oxycodone Sean Crosby, 35, Lakewood Two counts each of unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of heroin, distribution of more than 5 ounces of heroin, possession of heroin, possession of a defaced firearm Saladine Davis, 41, Plainfield Possession and possession with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of heroin, hindering apprehension, possession of drug paraphernalia Rafael DeJesus, 42, Paterson Maintaining or operating a drug-production facility, financial facilitation of criminal activity, possession with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of heroin, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of heroin, possession of heroin, possession of Oxycodone, possession with intent to distribute oxycodone Gregory Delarosa, 38, Jersey City Two counts each of possession of heroin and possession with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of heroin, conspiracy to possess more than 5 ounces of heroin, possession of a firearm while committing a drug offense Andrea Goines, 35, Piscataway Possession of heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia Elissa Gundell-Goodson, 21, Keansburg Possession less than 50 grams of marijuana, possession of Percocet Robert Hager, 62, Toms River Possession of a hypodermic syringe Delcio Hernandez-Severin, 35, Paterson Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of heroin Darrin Hester, 57, Plainfield Possession of cocaine and heroin, possession with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of cocaine and heroin, hindering apprehension, possession of drug paraphernalia Marcia Jenkins, 36, Piscataway
Possession of heroin and possession with intent to distribute Kareem Johnson, 30, Piscataway Maintaining or operating a drug-production facility, possession of heroin, possession with intent to distribute more than a half-ounce but less than 5 ounces of heroin, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia Joyce Kirkland, 52, Newark Possession of cocaine and heroin, possession with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of cocaine and heroin, hindering apprehension, possession of drug paraphernalia Bernard Mendez, 32, Lakewood Conspiracy to possess more than 5 ounces of heroin, possession of cocaine, Alprazolam and Oxycodone, possession with intent to distribute Oxycodone, three counts each of possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm while committing a drug offense and possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, two counts of receiving stolen property, possession with intent to distribute more than a half-ounce but less than 5 ounces of heroin Larry Petty, 35, Toms River Possession of a firearm while committing a drug offense, possession with intent to distribute marijuana Robert Randolph, 36, Howell Possession with intent to distribute cocaine, possession of cocaine and heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful possession of a high-capacity magazine Christopher Romero, 28, Lakewood Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of heroin, possession of Oxycodone, possession with intent to distribute heroin, two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of heroin, possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon Joseph Rosenthal, 27, Long Branch Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia possession of cocaine and marijuana, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, possession of drug paraphernalia Rasheed Sanders, 37, East Orange Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of cocaine, possession of a firearm while committing a drug offense, possession of drug paraphernalia, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon Teron Savoy, 42, Jackson Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of heroin, distribution of heroin Byron Simpson, 46, Plainfield Possession with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces each of cocaine and heroin, possession of cocaine and heroin, hindering apprehension, possession of a firearm with committing a drug offense, unlawful possession of a firearm, possession of a defaced firearm, possession of drug paraphernalia Pedro Victoriano, 36, Bronx, NY Possession with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of heroin, conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of cocaine, possession of heroin, 3rd degree Thomas Wyatt, 39, Piscataway Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of heroin, possession of heroin, cocaine and marijuana, possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine Jaime Doyle, 32, Toms River Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of heroin, two counts each of possession of heroin and possession with intent to distribute, three counts of heroin distribution Stacy Bell, 45, Piscataway Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of heroin Morris Howard, 41, Brick Possession of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute, distribution of cocaine, two counts each of possession of heroin, possession with intent to distribute and heroin distribution Akera Lewis, 27, Newark Conspiracy to possess with intent to distribute more than 5 ounces of heroin, possession of heroin, possession with intent to distribute, heroin distribution
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Lynda Cohen

BreakingAC founder who previously worked in newspapers for more than two decades. She is an NJPA award-winner and was a Stories of Atlantic City fellow.

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