NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury indicted an Essex County man on an additional charge stemming from his role as the leader of a drug trafficking organization that dealt heroin and crack cocaine in and around Newark, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.
Federal officials said in a release that Mr. Keith Herd, 31, of Newark, was charged in a second superseding indictment, returned April 24, 2019, with one count of engaging in a continuing criminal enterprise.
Officials say Herd was charged by indictment in August 2018 with two counts of distribution and possession with intent to distribute heroin.
A superseding indictment in October 2018 added one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with the intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. Herd and his co-defendants will be arraigned on the new indictment at a date to be determined according to officials.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Herd was the main heroin supplier in and around Hayes Street and 14th Avenue in the area of the New Community Corporation community development (NCC) and the leader of the Brick City Brim set of the Bloods street gang within NCC.
In addition to selling narcotics in and around NCC, Herd and members of the organization alerted each other to police and rival gang member or drug dealer presence within NCC, shared narcotics supplies, narcotics proceeds, customers, and raised money for each other following arrests.
If convicted, Herd faces mandatory term of life in prison.
OfficIals say Herd was originally charged by complaint along with 10 other individuals in March 2018. An additional 17 individuals were charged by complaint in April and August of 2018. Furad Loyal, 37, Tyrone Brown, 35, and Raheem Tarry, 33, all of Newark, are indicted with Herd on narcotics conspiracy, distribution, and possession charges for their respective roles in the NCC drug trafficking organization.
Loyal also faces firearms possession charges.