Police in Vermont recently arrested a Newark NJ man who was allegedly in possession of thousands of bags of heroin.
According to federal authorities, the 23-year-old suspect was carrying approximately 2,250 bags of heroin at an Amtrak station in Essex Junction, Vermont.
Law enforcement, including the Vermont State Police Drug Task Force and federal agents, received a tip about the suspect several months ago and began conducting an investigation. The investigation culminated in the suspect’s arrest at the train station.
The suspect reportedly took a train from New York City to Vermont. When the suspect arrived at an Amtrak station in Vermont, police officers detained him. A subsequent search of the suspect allegedly turned up more than 2,000 bags of heroin.
The suspect was placed under arrest and charged with possession with intent to distribute heroin.
If the suspect is ultimately convicted on the heroin distribution charges, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison. Although the suspect faces federal charges, he would have been subject to equally harsh penalties if he had been charged with heroin distribution in New Jersey. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5, distribution of more than five ounces of heroin is a first degree felony and is punishable by 10-20 years in NJ State Prison.
After being arrested and processed, the suspect was being held in police custody. A representative with the U.S. Attorney’s Office said that a federal judge would determine whether the suspect will be detained until trial commences or released to the supervision of the U.S. Probation Office.
To learn more about this case, check out the NJ.com article entitled “N.J. Man Arrested in Vermont with 2,250 Bags of Heroin.”
