Four male suspects were arrested on drug and weapons charges this afternoon by Essex County sheriff’s detectives.
Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that his department’s Bureau of Narcotics staged a plainclothes surveillance operation at the intersection of 14th Avenue and South 16th Street in response to neighborhood complaints of drug trafficking in the area.
“Tony Dorch, 26, was observed making alleged illegal narcotics sales in front of the Jiminez Gabino Grocery store, located at 310 14th Avenue, at 2 p.m. today,” Sheriff Fontoura said. “Dorch would engage with passersby and signal to an accomplice, later identified as Devin Hawkins, 33, who was stationed at an open window of a vacant third floor apartment over the store. Hawkins would then deliver the drugs to Dorch.”
In placing Dorch and Hawkins under arrest, the BON detectives recovered 21 vials and 8 bags of ‘crack’ cocaine, six heroin-filled glassine envelops, stamped ‘BROOKLYN’ in red ink, and 22 grams of marijuana.
Loitering in the area, a third suspect, later identified as Tywaun Hedgesteth, 34, was observed repositioning a handgun in his waistband.
“Hedgesteth was found to be in possession of a fully loaded, .45 caliber, Hi Point semi-automatic and 14 bags of ‘crack’ cocaine,” Fontoura added.
A fourth suspect, Shaquan Wiley, 30, then pulled up to the scene in a 2006 Toyota Corolla.
“Wiley exited his vehicle, opened the hood, removed a brown paper bag and stuffed items from that bag into his waistband,” Fontoura noted. “A search of Wiley and the bag yielded 64 vials and 10 bags of ‘crack’ cocaine.
All four suspects are residents of Newark and were charged with possession of CDS, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of West Side High School and possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public housing complex.
Hedgesteth was additionally charged with the unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon while committing a CDS crime and possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
A canvass of the area for the alleged drug buyers was unsuccessful.
Bail for the four suspects will be set later this evening and they will be lodged at the Essex County jail where they will await arraignments on today’s charges.