Essex County law enforcement arrested two men who were allegedly selling crack cocaine in Newark, NJ.
The arrests were made after an investigation by the Essex County Sheriff’s Office. Police investigated reports of cocaine distribution in the North Ward of Newark and then set up an undercover operation.
The drug crime sting operation involved narcotics detectives with the Essex County Sheriff’s Office conducting surveillance at the intersection of Delavan Avenue and Romaine Place in Newark, New Jersey. At some point, police allegedly saw one of the suspects, a 23-year-old Newark man, approach the other suspects, a 22-year-old man from Newark. The two suspects then reportedly meet up with two other individuals who rode by on bicycles.
Essex County police reportedly observed the suspects exchange drug packages for cash. When narcotics detectives moved in on the suspects, they allegedly discovered more than 100 vials of crack cocaine.
The suspects, who are said to be members of the Bloods street gang in Newark, have been charged with multiple drug crimes, including possession of cocaine, possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and distribution of cocaine near a school. The school zone charges stem from the fact that the arrest was made within 1,000 feet of Broadway Elementary School in Newark, NJ.
After being arrested and charged, the two suspects were remanded to the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, New Jersey. They were each being held at the jail on separate $100,000 bail amounts.
For further information about this case, check out the NJ.com article, “Reputed Bloods Gang Members Face Crack Cocaine Charges, Essex Sheriff Says.”
