TRENTON
– Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa
announced that 25 alleged drug dealers were
arrested today in the takedown of a major
narcotics distribution network with ties to
the Ñetas that was dealing large quantities
of heroin in the area of 4th and Royden Streets
in Camden. Arrest warrants were issued for
41 people, including 28 alleged members of
the network and 13 other alleged drug dealers
from outside the network who were charged
as a result of the investigation.
Beginning
early today, a multi-agency force fanned
out across Camden to make arrests. By 11
a.m., 25 defendants were in custody, and
16 others were being sought on warrants.
The charges stem from Operation Billboard,
a nine-month investigation led by the Division
of Criminal Justice, with assistance from
the Camden City Police Department, Camden
County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey
State Police and U.S. Immigration and Customs
Enforcement.
Today’s
arrests include the alleged leader of the
network, Noel Gonzalez, 43, of Camden, a
reputed member of the Ñetas, who
is charged with leading a narcotics trafficking
network, a first-degree crime that carries
a sentence of life in prison, including
25 years without parole. Gonzalez and 27
other alleged members of his organization,
including his top deputies, are charged
with first-degree racketeering. That charge
carries a sentence of 10 to 20 years in
state prison, including a period of parole
ineligibility under the No Early Release
Act equal to 85 percent of the sentence
imposed.
The
narcotics network was dealing up to tens
of thousands of dollars in heroin per week.
In addition to Gonzalez, the leaders of
the network include other members of the
Ñetas and Latin Kings street gangs.
Nine defendants have been charged in the
past with violent crimes or weapons offenses.
The 13 alleged drug dealers from outside
of the network who were charged in Operation
Billboard include two men from the “Top
10” list of violent offenders in Camden
compiled by law enforcement authorities:
Joseph Serrano, 30, aka “Joey Crack,”
and Kevin Hannah, 47, aka “ICU.”
The Camden County Prosecutor’s Office
is pursuing suspected links, developed through
this investigation, between this drug network
and several unsolved homicides in Camden.
“The
culture of violence in our cities is rooted
in a culture of drug dealing. With investigations
such as this one, we are taking aim at the
primary threat to the safety and quality
of life of Camden residents,” said
Attorney General Chiesa. “We charge
that Noel Gonzalez, a reputed Ñetas
member, led a highly structured heroin network
that tightly controlled its territory in
the violence-torn neighborhood around 4th
and Royden Streets. With these arrests,
we have dismantled his criminal enterprise
and taken additional violent offenders from
outside of his network off of the street.”
“The
value of long-term investigations such as
Operation Billboard is that they enable
us to take down the upper echelons of drug
networks, not just the lower-level dealers
who conduct hand-to-hand transactions on
the street,” said Stephen J. Taylor,
Director of the Division of Criminal Justice.
“By building a strong racketeering
case, we can put these criminals in prison
for a long time.”
“The
takedown today and the investigation leading
up to it are further examples of the day-to-day
cooperation among all levels of law enforcement
operating in the city and the county,”
said Camden County Prosecutor Warren W.
Faulk. “We expect that information
obtained from this investigation will lead
to additional arrests for other serious
crimes.”
“Residents
in the area where these thugs have been
operating are tired of having their lives
negatively defined by the threat of flagrant
drug dealing and daytime shootings,”
said Chief John S. Thomson of the Camden
City Police Department. “This takedown
will bring welcome relief for the good people
of these neighborhoods, who want security
and peace for their families. I thank Attorney
General Chiesa for joining forces with us
to make Camden safer.”
The
investigation revealed that Noel Gonzalez
ran a large-scale drug distribution network
that was supplying at least four open-air
drug “sets” dealing heroin at
the following locations:
-
4th and Royden Streets,
- West
and Royden Streets,
- Royden
and Henry Streets,
-
4th and Spruce Streets.
The
network also allegedly conducted drug deals
at numerous locations in the surrounding
area.
The
network had a hierarchy with well-defined
roles including “case workers,”
“set managers,” “trappers,”
and “runners.” Case workers
were responsible for day-to-day operation
of the network’s drug distribution
activities, including the transfer of narcotics
and proceeds to and from Gonzalez and street-level
set managers. Set managers insulated the
case workers and the upper echelons of Gonzalez’s
network from the street level “trappers”
or dealers. Trappers conducted hand-to-hand
exchanges of narcotics and currency involving
buyers of the network’s heroin. Runners
re-supplied the trappers with heroin.
The finances of the network were built around
selling “bundles” of heroin.
A bundle consists of approximately 14 bags
– small wax paper folds stamped with
a brand – with each bag being sold
for $10, giving each bundle a street value
of approximately $140. The first 10 bags
sold, or the first $100, from each bundle
allegedly went directly to Gonzalez. The
case workers received the $10 in proceeds
from the eleventh bag of each bundle sold
by the set managers. It is believed that
the set managers and trappers divided the
$30 from the last three bags sold from each
bundle. The number of bundles a set manager
was permitted to handle at one time was
based on their reliability as determined
by network leaders. Along with their duties
of managing set managers, the case workers
also sold drugs to purchasers who bought
multiple bundles of heroin.
The
arrested individuals were lodged in the
Camden County Jail. Bails for the members
of Gonzalez’s network were set at
$300,000 to $1.5 million. Authorities executed
search warrants at Gonzalez’s residence
in the 1200 block of Collings Road and four
other residences. During the arrests and
searches, authorities seized approximately
three-quarters of a kilo of heroin; approximately
$52,000 in cash; about $20,000 in counterfeit
U.S. currency, and a .40-caliber handgun.
In addition, orders were obtained to seize
and restrain 17 vehicles belonging to Gonzalez
and other members of his network.
The
defendants were charged as follows [* indicates
that defendant is in custody]:
Alleged
Leaders
-
Leader: *Noel
Gonzalez, 43, of Camden (alleged
Ñetas gang member). Leader of a
Narcotics Trafficking Network (1st degree),
Racketeering (1st degree), Conspiracy
(2nd degree), Distribution of Heroin (1st
degree).
-
Managing Partner: *Michael
Rivera, 28, of Camden, aka “Bute.”
Racketeering (1st degree), Conspiracy
(2nd degree), Money Laundering (3rd degree).
Alleged
Case Workers
-
Angel L. Martinez, 28,
of Camden, aka “Gunz” (alleged
Ñetas gang member). Racketeering
(1st degree), Conspiracy (2nd degree).
- *Fred
Alvarado, 47, of Camden, aka
“Freddy” (alleged Latin Kings
gang member). Racketeering (1st degree),
Conspiracy (2nd degree), Distribution
of Heroin (3rd degree).
-
Jonathan Santiago,
32, of Camden, aka “Shorty Chico.”
Racketeering (1st degree), Conspiracy
(2nd degree), Distribution of Heroin (3rd
degree).
- *JessMarie
Ramirez, 30, of Camden, aka “Jessie.”
Racketeering (1st degree), Conspiracy
(2nd degree), Distribution of Heroin (2nd
degree).
- *William
Alvarez, 36, of Camden, aka “June.”
Racketeering (1st degree), Conspiracy
(2nd degree), Distribution of Heroin (3rd
degree).
- *Samuel
Serrano, 24, of Camden. Racketeering
(1st degree), Conspiracy (2nd degree).
Alleged
Set Managers
- Michael
Ortiz, 19, of Camden, aka “Mikey.”
Racketeering (1st degree), Conspiracy
(2nd degree).
-
*Edgardo Ortiz, 20, of
Camden, aka “Bebe.” Racketeering
(1st degree), Conspiracy (2nd degree),
Distribution of Heroin (3rd degree).
- *Jonathan
Roman, 22, of Camden. Racketeering
(1st degree), Conspiracy (2nd degree),
Distribution of Heroin (3rd degree).
- Wilkins
Castro, 32, of Camden. Racketeering
(1st degree), Conspiracy (2nd degree),
Distribution of Heroin (3rd degree).
- *George
Rivera, 27, of Camden, aka “Angel.”
Racketeering (1st degree), Conspiracy
(2nd degree), Distribution of Heroin (3rd
degree).
- Cindy
M. Scanes, 26, of Camden. Racketeering
(1st degree), Conspiracy (2nd degree),
Distribution of Heroin (3rd degree).
Alleged
Trappers and Runners
-
*Juan Santana, 53, of
Camden, aka “Chino.” Racketeering
(1st degree), Conspiracy (2nd degree),
Distribution of Heroin (3rd degree).
- Luis
Vasquez, 20, of Camden, aka “Lou.”
Racketeering (1st degree), Conspiracy
(2nd degree), Distribution of Heroin (3rd
degree).
- Christopher
Vasquez, 21, of Camden, aka “Chris.”
Racketeering (1st degree), Conspiracy
(2nd degree), Distribution of Heroin (3rd
degree).
- Hassan
Torres, 24, of Camden, aka “Haz.”
Racketeering (1st degree), Distribution
of PCP (1st degree), Conspiracy (2nd degree),
Distribution of Heroin (3rd degree).
- *William
Rivera, 30, of Camden, aka “Butch.”
Racketeering (1st degree), Conspiracy
(2nd degree), Distribution of Heroin (3rd
degree).
- *Sebastian
Cordero, 19, of Camden, aka “Seb.”
Racketeering (1st degree), Conspiracy
(2nd degree), Distribution of Heroin (3rd
degree).
- Douglas
Soto, 24, of Camden, aka “D-Block.”
Racketeering (1st degree), Conspiracy
(2nd degree), Distribution of Heroin (3rd
degree).
- *Julio
Medina, 21, of Camden. Racketeering
(1st degree), Conspiracy (2nd degree),
Distribution of Heroin (3rd degree).
- Jose
Diaz, 20, of Camden, aka “.”
Racketeering (1st degree), Conspiracy
(2nd degree), Distribution of Heroin (3rd
degree).
- Calvin
J. Lewis, 22, of Blackwood. Racketeering
(1st degree), Conspiracy (2nd degree),
Distribution of Heroin (3rd degree).
- *Jonathan
Vazquez, 18, of Camden. Racketeering
(1st degree), Conspiracy (2nd degree),
Distribution of Heroin (3rd degree).
- Jorge
Pena, 44, of Camden, aka “Tito.”
Racketeering (1st degree), Conspiracy
(2nd degree), Distribution of Heroin (3rd
degree).
- *Timothy
Peters, 19, of Camden, aka “White
Boy.” Racketeering (1st degree),
Conspiracy (2nd degree), Distribution
of Heroin (3rd degree).
- *Giovanni
Mercado, 21, of Camden. Racketeering
(1st degree), Conspiracy (2nd degree),
Distribution of Heroin (3rd degree).
Additional
Alleged Drug Dealers Charged in Operation
Billboard
- *Joseph
Serrano, 30, of Camden, aka "Joey
Crack" (alleged Bloods gang member).
Distribution of PCP (1st degree).
- *Kevin
Hannah, 47, of Camden, aka "ICU."
Distribution of PCP (1st degree).
- *Omar
Santiago, 31, of Camden, aka
"Omar." Conspiracy (2nd degree).
- *Rafael
Vicente, 46, of Camden, aka "Popeye."
Conspiracy (2nd degree).
- *Conno
Laboy, 21, of Camden. Conspiracy
(2nd degree), Distribution of Heroin (2nd
degree).
- *Virgilio
Vargas Jr., 25, of Camden. Conspiracy
(2nd degree).
- Jose
Bonilla, 36, of Camden, aka "Chino"
(alleged Bloods gang member). Distribution
of PCP (1st degree), Distribution of Heroin
(3rd degree).
- *Jose
Ramos, 33, of Camden, aka "Jay."
Distribution of Heroin (2nd degree), Conspiracy
(3rd degree).
- Miguel
Andujar, 44, of Camden. Distribution
of PCP (1st degree).
- Jose
Rodriguez, 27, of Camden, aka
"Papito." Distribution of PCP
(2nd degree).
- *Vincent
Porrata, 46, of Pennsauken, aka
"Lluvia." Distribution of Heroin
(1st degree), Possession of Heroin (3rd
degree), Distribution of Heroin (3rd degree),
Distribution of Heroin w/in 1000 Feet
of a School (3rd degree).
- Jose
R. Adames, 50, of Woodlynne.
Distribution of Heroin (3rd degree), Distribution
of Heroin w/in 1000 Feet of a School (3rd
degree), Possession of Heroin (3rd degree).
- *Marisol
Beltran-Alvarez, 47, of Haddon
Township. Distribution of Heroin (1st
degree), Possession of Heroin (3rd degree),
Distribution of Heroin w/in 1000 Feet
of a School (3rd degree).
Operation
Billboard was conducted by the Division
of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized
Crime Bureau, Camden City Police Department,
Camden County Prosecutor’s Office,
New Jersey State Police, and U.S. Immigration
and Customs Enforcement’s Homeland
Security Investigations. Assistance was
provided by Audubon Police Department and
Haddon Township Police Department. Attorney
General Chiesa credited Detective Peppi
Pichette, Detective Brian Woolston, Detective
James Blong III, Detective Jeffrey Lorman,
Detective Richard Dasilva Jr., Detective
Naike Kudlik, Sgt. Andrea Salvatini, and
Sgt. Richard Carlin of the Division of Criminal
Justice, under the supervision of Deputy
Chief of Detectives Chuck Foley. Attorney
General Chiesa credited Deputy Attorney
General Andrew Johns, Deputy Attorney General
Jill Mayer and Deputy Attorney General Julia
Glass, under the direction of Supervising
Deputy Attorney General Mark Eliades, Chief
of the Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau,
and Deputy Attorney General Christopher
Romanyshyn, Deputy Bureau Chief. Deputy
Attorney General Derek Miller obtained the
civil forfeiture orders. Attorney General
Chiesa also credited all of the individuals
who worked on the operation for each of
the participating agencies.
The
complaints that were filed are merely accusations
and the defendants are presumed innocent
until proven guilty. The charges will be
presented to a grand jury for potential
indictment. The charge of leader of a narcotics
trafficking network carries a sentence of
life in prison, including 25 years without
parole, and a criminal fine of up to $200,000.
The other first-degree charges carry a sentence
of 10 to 20 years in prison and a fine of
up to $200,000. Second-degree crimes carry
a sentence of five to 10 years in prison
and a fine of up to $150,000. Third-degree
crimes carry a sentence of three to five
years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.
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