Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that seven suspects remain at-large following the July 1 arrests during a major takedown dubbed Operation T.I.D.E. (Targeted Integrated Deployment Enforcement).
Two weeks ago, six search warrants were executed in Newark and East. Some 48 individuals, including a juvenile, were charged with various crimes ranging from murder to possession of marijuana.
A total of 41 people were arrested as a result of a five-month investigation led by the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force with the assistance of the Passaic, Morris, Bergen, and Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Offices along with the New Jersey State Police, the Bloomfield, East Orange, Montclair, Belleville, Paramus Police Departments and the Essex County Sheriff’s Department.
The drug ring was operated by members of 793 set of the Bloods in Essex County. Those arrested included residents from Essex, Monmouth and Morris. Those arrested who did not live in Essex County drove from their homes in other counties to purchase drugs in the City of Newark.
The Operation culminated in the seizure of $31,064.00 in cash. Heroin, cocaine, marijuana, methamphetamine, promethazine syrup, and oxycotin with an estimated street value of $10,000 were also seized along with four semi-automatic handguns and an assault rifle.
The following people, who were charged, are still at-large and authorities are seeking the public’s help in finding them:
Dwight Freeman, 51, of Newark has been charged with possession of heroin and conspiracy to distribute;
Paul Lewis, 50, of Jersey City has been charged with possession of heroin and conspiracy to distribute heroin;
Robert Duren, 26, of Newark has been charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of heroin with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school, possession of heroin with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public park and conspiracy to distribute heroin;
Donald Walker, 47, of Newark has been charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute and possession of heroin with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school;
Jeffrey Walker, 46, of Union has been charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of heroin with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school and conspiracy to distribute heroin;
Shadee Mitchell, 33, of Newark has been charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute and possession of heroin with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school;
Shaheed Simmons, 33, of Newark has been charged with possession of heroin with the intent to distribute, possession of heroin with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school and conspiracy to distribute heroin.
The investigation is active and ongoing.