Two men were arrested after allegedly engaging in an illegal drug transaction in the North Ward of Newark, New Jersey.
According to law enforcement, detectives with the Essex County Sheriff’s Bureau of Narcotics conducted an investigation in the area of Parker Street and Park Avenue, in Newark’s North Ward, after police received complaints about drug activity. This particular area of the Newark neighborhood has a reputation for being an open-air drug market.
As part of the investigation, Essex County detectives carried out surveillance and reportedly spotted a 35-year-old suspect loitering on Parker Street. A short time later, another suspect, a 46-year-old Newark man, reportedly approached the suspect and began to talk to him.
At some point, the main suspect allegedly walked toward an alley and got an item from underneath a wooden board that was on the ground. The suspect then allegedly handed the item to the other man in exchange for cash.
Police officers followed the alleged drug buyer from the scene and reportedly found him in possession of four vials of crack cocaine. He was arrested and subsequently charged with possession of cocaine.
Police later searched the alleyway and allegedly found a plastic bag containing 40 additional vials of crack cocaine. As a result, detectives also arrested the suspect accused of selling the crack cocaine.
The main suspect has been charged with numerous drug crimes, including cocaine distribution, sale of drugs near a school, and sale of illegal drugs near a public park.
After being arrested, the alleged drug dealer was taken to the Essex County Correctional Facility in Newark, New Jersey. He was being held at the jail in lieu of a $75K bail amount. Meanwhile, the alleged drug buyer was released from police custody on his own recognizance.
For further information about this case, view the NJ.com article, “Man Was Allegedly Selling Crack in Drug-Plagued Newark Neighborhood.”
