A military-style assault rifle, two semi-automatic handguns, a cache of narcotics and cash were seized during two related investigations into narcotics trafficking in Essex and Union counties by a law enforcement task force, comprised of detectives from the Essex County Sheriff's Office and the Bloomfield and Elizabeth police departments.
According to Essex County officials, on Friday, law enforcement officers executed a search warrant at the residence of Cedric "Smack" Lewis, 30, located at 21 Lackawanna Plaza, Bloomfield.
"As a result of our search, a 9mm Glock semi-automatic pistol, reported stolen out of Sanford, North Carolina, a .40 caliber Glock semi-automatic handgun, fifty heroin-filled envelops, stamped 'STEEL CITY' in red ink, 15.6 grams of 'crack' cocaine, nine Xanax tables, a variety of drug packaging and processing paraphernalia and $800 in cash were confiscated," Sheriff Armando Fontoura said.
Sheriff Fontoura added that the suspect first came to the attention of Elizabeth police on the evening of Sunday, September 20 when Lewis was observed as a passenger in a 2012 Jeep Grand Cherokee.
"Elizabeth Police stated that Lewis was in possession of a rifle and the Jeep was pursuing another vehicle," Fontoura added. "The Jeep was followed into Newark and Elizabeth police lost track of the car on Frelinghuysen Avenue. The Jeep was later found abandoned on Van Vechten Street in Newark."
A search warrant was issued for the Jeep which yielded an AR-15 assault rifle.
Lewis was charged with possession of a weapon while committing a narcotics crime, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, possession of a large capacity ammunition magazine and receiving stolen property.
He was also charged with three counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, two counts of possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of Watsessing Park and possession of narcotics paraphernalia.
The suspect is still at large and should be considered dangerous.