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TRENTON
– Attorney General Anne Milgram announced
that two men involved in a South Jersey
drug network, including one of the leaders
of the ring, were sentenced to state prison
today on charges they bought and sold large
quantities of marijuana and cocaine.
The
charges resulted from a cooperative investigation
by the New Jersey State Police and the Pennsylvania
State Police into interstate smuggling of
drugs. The investigation led to the seizure
of 63 pounds of marijuana and $47,000 in
cash last year.
Joel
G. Juarez, 40, aka Enrique
H. Penna, of Pilesgrove, was sentenced today
to 15 years in state prison with 40 months
of parole ineligibility by Superior Court
Judge Michael R. Connor in Atlantic County.
Juarez pleaded guilty on Sept. 11 to possession
of marijuana with intent to distribute,
conspiracy, and attempted possession of
cocaine with intent to distribute, charges
contained in a May 12 state grand jury indictment
obtained by the Division of Criminal Justice
Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau. He also
pleaded guilty that day to a criminal accusation
charging him with maintaining a marijuana
production facility.
Juarez
was arrested by the New Jersey State Police
on the evening of July 13, 2007 at the Budget
Motel on East Black Horse Pike in Folsom,
along with Damian Constantino, 43, aka Damian
Garcia, of Pilesgrove. Juarez admitted that
he conspired with Damian Constantino to
sell 59 pounds of marijuana, which they
had in their possession. Constantino’s
son, Baltazar Constantino, 22, also of Pilesgrove,
was arrested at the same time at his father’s
store, Las Delicias Food Market on Central
Avenue in Hammonton. Juarez admitted that,
earlier that day, he had loaded containers
of marijuana into vehicles at the rear of
the store.
Also
today, Luis
A. DeJesus, 29, of Lawrenceville,
was sentenced by Judge Connor to serve five
years in state prison. His brother, Leonardo
R. DeJesus, 30, of Long Branch, failed to
appear at sentencing and a bench warrant
was issued for his arrest. The defendants
pleaded guilty before Judge Connor on Sept.
11 to attempted possession of cocaine with
intent to distribute and conspiracy. The
two men were arrested with Juarez and Damian
Constantino at the Budget Motel.
At
the plea hearing, Leonardo and Luis DeJesus
admitted that they went to the motel to
buy cocaine. The brothers admitted that
they had $47,000 in their possession for
the purchase.
At
the time of the arrests, search warrants
were also executed by New Jersey State Police
TEAMS (Technical Emergency and Mission Specialists)
Units at Las Delicias, where they allegedly
recovered 3 pounds of marijuana and a digital
scale, and at the farm labor camp where
Juarez lived at 1423 Kings Highway, where
they allegedly recovered one-half pound
of marijuana and 14 marijuana plants.
Charges
are pending against Damian and Baltazar
Constantino. They failed to appear previously
in court for a status conference, and Judge
Connor issued arrest warrants for them.
The
case was investigated by the New Jersey
State Police Organized Crime Control Bureau
- Drug Trafficking South Unit and the Pennsylvania
State Police Vice Unit - Troop J. Deputy
Attorney General Philip S. Aronow of the
Division of Criminal Justice Gangs &
Organized Crime Bureau negotiated the pleas
and represented the state at the sentencing
hearings.
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