Essex County Sheriff's officers arrested a man for weapons and drug charges on Tuesday evening.
Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that in response to numerous neighborhood complaints of drug trafficking in the area of Nevada and West Kinney streets, the task force conducted a plainclothes surveillance operation at that location.
“Here, our officers observed a male sitting in the passenger seat of a parked 2010 Mercedes sedan,” Sheriff Fontoura said. “The suspect was soon approached by two males and after brief conversations with each the suspect exchanged items from the car with them for cash.”
When the officers moved in to investigate further, they could smell the pungent odor of burnt marijuana emanating from the Mercedes.
“The suspect, later identified as **Mr. Al-Tariq Carter, 28 of Newark**, reached out of the car’s window and placed a small plastic bag containing a leafy substance onto the roof of the car,” Fontoura said.
“When Carter was ordered out of the vehicle the handle of a gun was seen protruding from the center console of the car. The gun, a fully loaded. .45 caliber Taurus semi-automatic was found to have been stolen out of Columbia, South Carolina, in 2016. Additional marijuana was also discovered in the car.”
Police charged Carter with the unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, possession of a weapon while committing a narcotics crime, possession of CDS, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of St. James Prep, possession with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public park and receiving stolen property.
Police also issued Carter a motor vehicle summons for allegedly having narcotics in a car.
Carter was lodged at the county jail where he awaits a bail hearing and a hearing on his parole status.