Following the execution of a search warrant yesterday at the residence of an alleged Bloods street gang member, Essex County sheriff’s detectives recovered five weapons and heroin.
Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that officers from his department’s Bureau of Narcotics executed the warrant for the second floor apartment at 11 Lenox Avenue early Wednesday evening.
“The target of our investigation, Joseph Brown, 24, has been lodged at the county jail since January on prior weapons and drug charges,” Sheriff Fontoura said. “After making our entry into his apartment, our detectives conducted a search of the premises which proved to be a weapons arsenal.”
“In Brown’s apartment which he shares with his girlfriend, Yasmine White, 25, also an alleged Bloods gang member,” Fontoura noted, “two fully loaded Smith and Wesson semi-automatic handguns, a loaded, sawed-off, 12 gauge, Benelli Nova pump action shotgun, a loaded, 12 gauge, Kel-Tech shotgun and a loaded, .22 caliber Ruger semi-automatic rifle which was reported stolen out of Manchester Township, New Jersey, were seized.
Also in the suspect’s apartment were an illegal high capacity ammunition magazine, a bulletproof vest, illegal hollow point bullets, 46 heroin-filled envelops and a wide assortment of drug packaging and processing paraphernalia which were also recovered.”
Brown was charged with five counts of the possession of a weapon while committing a narcotics crime and one count each of possession of a sawed-off shotgun, possession of hollow point bullets, possession of a high capacity ammunition magazine, receiving stolen property, possession of CDS, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of narcotics paraphernalia and conspiracy to violate New Jersey’s narcotics laws.
Similar charges were filed against White and an investigation for her whereabouts continues.