A 38-year-old man admitted to leading a drug-trafficking network Monday in a case the Atlantic County prosecutor said epitomized intra-agency cooperation.
More than 80 bricks of heroin and fentanyl were seized after four searches that spanned Brigantine, Linwood and Egg Harbor Township.
Each brick equals 50 packets, for a total of more than 4,000 packets.
Frank Gulli, who maintained residence in Egg Harbor Township, Brigantine, Somers Point and Margate, pleaded guilty Monday to first-degree leader of a narcotics-trafficking network, second-degree possession of heroin and/or fentanyl in an amount greater than a half-ounce and possession within a public zone.
He faces an 18-year sentence, which would require him to serve half before he is eligible for parole.
Detectives from three towns worked together to make the case against Gulli, Atlantic County Prosecutor Damon Tyner said.
The group “epitomized intra-agency cooperation to rid Atlantic County of a dangerous drug-distribution ring,” he said in a new release.
The case began with a search warrant March March 17, 2017, initiated by Brigantine Police Detective John Glasser, Tyner said. That was followed by searches in Linwood on April 27, and May 1, 2017, both initiated by Linwood Police Detective Charles Champion.
A July 11, search warrant was the result of work by Egg Harbor Township Police Detective Richard Vogt.
All three detectives were involved in all the searches, along with collecting evidence and witness statements, Tyner said.
Gulli also pleaded guilty to resisting arrest and posing a risk of serious injury to multiple police detectives.
During his guilty plea, Gulli said that on April 27, 2017, he attempted to flee the Linwood serach, nearly running over three detectives with his car.
Detectives pursued and seized 40 bricks of heroin from the trunk of Gulli’s vehicle, Tyner said.
Gulli also admitted to tampering with evidence by sending a message April 30, 2017, from the Atlantic County Justice Facility to one of his co-defendants, instructing him to move heroin/fentanyl before police could find it.
Detectives used that message to seize an additional 40 bricks of heroin/fentanyl from a co-conspirator in Linwood, Tyner said.
The agencies that assisted with investigation and execution of the four search warrants include the police departments in Brigantine, Linwood, Egg Harbor Township and Somers Point, along with the Atlantic County Gangs, Guns and Narcotics Unit and the Atlantic County SWAT team.
