TRENTON
– Attorney General Paula T. Dow and
Criminal Justice Director Stephen J. Taylor
today announced that the Division of Criminal
Justice has obtained indictments charging
the alleged head, three suppliers and eight
others in connection with a narcotics network
linked to the Bloods that was dealing heroin
and cocaine in two violent Newark neighborhoods.
The
charges stem from Operation Red Storm, an
18-month investigation led by the Division
of Criminal Justice, with assistance from
the Boonton Police Department, Newark Police
Department, New Jersey Department of Corrections
and New Jersey State Police. During the
investigation, detectives seized more than
250 “bricks” of heroin, over
a kilogram of cocaine, more than $60,000
in cash, four semi-automatic handguns and
an assault rifle. A brick of heroin is a
bundle of 50 small $10 glassine envelopes
of heroin, ready for sale on the street.
Nearly 30 other defendants face pending
charges that were filed by complaint in
June 2010.
“Whenever
we take down significant narcotics networks
such as this one, our goal is not only to
rid the affected neighborhoods of dangerous
drugs, but also to eliminate the secondary
crimes and violence associated with these
illicit enterprises,” said Attorney
General Dow.
“These
defendants were trafficking heroin and cocaine
in two violent sections of Newark,”
said Director Taylor. “With these
indictments, we are taking aim at the various
elements of this criminal enterprise, armed
with the strong evidence we gathered with
our law enforcement partners.”
According
to Director Taylor, two state grand jury
indictments were returned on Oct. 14, and
a third indictment was returned today. All
three indictments charge Ameer Thompson,
29, of Newark, with second-degree conspiracy
to distribute narcotics, specifically, heroin
and cocaine in one indictment, and heroin
in the other two indictments. Thompson allegedly
exercised control over the narcotics network.
One
indictment also charges Cardiea
Harrell, 34, of Edison, who allegedly
was a supplier of narcotics within the network,
and Aaron Watson, 34, of
Newark, who allegedly assisted him as a
supplier, using his apartment on Rose Terrace
as a “stash house.”
Harrell
and Watson are charged with conspiracy,
money laundering and drug offenses, including
a charge of first-degree possession of cocaine
with intent to distribute, related to cocaine
allegedly found during a search of Watson’s
apartment. That charge carries a sentence
of up to 20 years in state prison. In addition,
Harrell could face up to 10 years in prison,
including five years of parole ineligibility,
on a charge of possession of a gun as a
convicted felon, in connection with a loaded
semi-automatic handgun allegedly seized
by detectives when they executed a search
warrant at his home.
A
third man who allegedly supplied heroin,
Sirajj Vickers, 30, of Tobyhanna,
Pa., was charged with second-degree conspiracy
and second- and third-degree drug offenses.
The
following eight defendants were indicted
on charges of second-degree conspiracy and
various second- and third-degree drug offenses:
-
Taliah Andrews, 30, of Newark;
-
Omar Glover, 30, of Newark;
-
Angie Andrews, 48, of Newark (Taliah’s
mother);
-
Weejah Andrews, 31, of Newark (Taliah’s
sister);
-
Shawn Wallace, 29, of Newark;
-
Johnetta Seagle, 39, of Newark;
-
Jahlil Shariah, 25, of Newark (Taliah’s
brother); and
-
Jason Lovejoy, 30, of Fords, N.J.
Lovejoy
also faces second-degree gun charges in
connection with a search of his home at
the time of his arrest on June 16, 2010,
which allegedly uncovered two handguns and
an assault rifle, in addition to cocaine.
The
investigation focused on a network that
was distributing heroin and cocaine in two
sections of Newark: the Fabyan Place area
and the “Chadwick Corridor”
including Avon and Chadwick Avenues. The
Chadwick Corridor has been identified by
the Newark Police Department as one of the
most violent districts in the city.
The
investigation revealed that Taliah Andrews
allegedly functioned as a dealer and supplier
of narcotics to numerous other individuals,
working from her home on Fabyan Place in
Newark, which she shared with Angie Andrews,
Shariah and Wallace. She was allegedly assisted
by those defendants, as well as Weejah Andrews
and Seagle. Detectives allegedly seized
64 bricks of heroin from Glover’s
home when they arrested him on May 26, 2010.
Harrell
and Watson were arrested on June 10, 2010,
as the two men allegedly met to conduct
a drug transaction. Watson allegedly had
171 grams of cocaine and two bricks of heroin
in a hidden compartment in his vehicle,
along with bylaws and other documents related
to the Brick City Brims set of the Bloods.
He allegedly had $2,000 on his person. Harrell
allegedly had $2,304 on his person, and
$8,000 in a hidden compartment of his car.
A search warrant was executed that day at
Watson’s apartment, where detectives
allegedly seized approximately a kilo of
cocaine, 12 bricks of heroin, $40,255 in
cash, a scale and narcotics packaging materials.
Deputy
Attorney General Philip J. Mogavero presented
the indictments to the state grand jury
for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs
& Organized Crime Bureau.
Operation
Red Storm was a cooperative investigation
by the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs
& Organized Crime Bureau, the Boonton
Police Department, the Newark Police Department,
the New Jersey Department of Corrections,
and the New Jersey State Police. Attorney
General Dow credited Detective Louis Renshaw
of the Division of Criminal Justice, who
was the Case Detective, and Sgt. Christian
Trowbridge of the Boonton Police Department.
Overseeing the daily operations of the investigation
were Deputy Attorney General Mogavero, Lt.
Chuck Foley and Deputy Chief Al Buecker
from the Division of Criminal Justice. Attorney
General Dow also credited all of the individuals
who worked on the investigation for each
of the participating agencies, including
members of the New Jersey State Police Intelligence
Section.
The
indictments were handed up to Superior Court
Judge Linda R. Feinberg in Mercer County.
The
first indictment, which was returned on
Oct. 14 and charges Thompson, Harrell and
Watson, was assigned to Middlesex County.
The second indictment, which was returned
on Oct. 14 and charges Thompson, Taliah
Andrews, Glover, Angie Andrews, Weejah Andrews,
Shawn Wallace, Seagle and Shariah, was assigned
to Essex County. And the third indictment,
which was returned today and charges Thompson,
Vickers and Lovejoy, was assigned to Middlesex
County.
First-degree
crimes carry a maximum sentence of 20 years
in state prison and a $200,000 fine; second-degree
crimes carry a maximum sentence of 10 years
in prison and a $150,000 fine; and third-degree
crimes carry a maximum sentence of five
years in prison a $15,000 fine.
The
indictments are merely accusations and the
defendants are presumed innocent until proven
guilty.
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