By: Richard L. Smith
Dozens of individuals have been charged in connection with a violent and organized drug operation that authorities say used intimidation and firearms to control territory in Newark, according to information released by the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.
Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin announced that 26 people face a range of charges tied to a criminal enterprise allegedly led by Rabiyah Sorey, 43, of Elizabeth. Prosecutors say Sorey ran the "Double ii – Queen Street Blood Gang," which oversaw an open-air drug market on North 9th Street in Newark.
Sorey is accused of racketeering, conspiracy, weapons violations, assaults, and drug distribution.
According to investigators, the enterprise operated with a structured network of enforcers, distributors, and advisors who pushed heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine in broad daylight. 
Those who crossed Sorey or disrespected the organization were reportedly met with violence or threats.
In one case from April 2023, Sorey allegedly ordered a shooting during a road rage incident in Irvington. Surveillance video reportedly captured her instructing two men to fire at victims during an argument.
One person was struck.
Another disturbing episode occurred in July 2023, when a female associate of Sorey was shot in the face.
A text message between the victim and Sorey—found during a separate investigation—suggested the shooting may have stemmed from a debt owed over drug sales.
Authorities also allege that Sorey and her associates publicly threatened rivals, including in social media videos where she taunted a man and implied violent retaliation.
In July 2024, prosecutors say Sorey and four others shot a man multiple times on North 12th Street, an attack captured on camera.
Ballistics tests linked multiple shootings to a black Springfield XD 30 sub-compact handgun, which authorities later recovered from the vehicle of a gang associate.
Prosecutors say the same gun was used by Sorey herself and other gang members during acts of violence.
According to information released by the Attorney General’s Office, Sorey also directed the movement of illegal firearms and helped operate a drug manufacturing site out of her Elizabeth home, which she shared with co-defendant Nicole Jones.
During a raid in March 2025, authorities seized over 90 grams of heroin, drug packaging materials, and roughly $17,000 in cash.
The charges follow a multi-agency investigation led by the Division of Criminal Justice’s Major Threats Division, in collaboration with the Newark Police Division, the New Jersey State Police, and the Elizabeth Police Department.
Sorey and Jones were arrested during the March raid, and charges are pending against several other alleged members and associates of the criminal network.