Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino announced that a truck driver who allegedly transported large quantities of heroin in his tractor-trailer was indicted for allegedly possessing 36 kilos of heroin that were seized in August by the New Jersey State Police on Interstate 78 in Warren County.
Oscar Franco, 59, of Chula Vista, Calif., was indicted on Monday, Dec. 12, on charges of first-degree possession of heroin with intent to distribute and third-degree possession of heroin.
He remains in the Warren County Jail with bail set at $200,000.
Franco was arrested on Aug. 14 by a member of the State Police Mobile Safe Freight Unit who stopped his tractor-trailer on Interstate 78 in Greenwich Township to conduct a routine commercial inspection. The trooper noticed significant irregularities in the driver’s bill of lading and logbook.
In addition, Franco’s itinerary from San Diego, California, to New Jersey included unexplained detours that were not consistent with cost-effective travel. An interior inspection revealed various crushed and dust-covered boxes containing outdated items. A duffel bag was visible in one of the boxes.
The trooper obtained consent to search the trailer and discovered two duffel bags allegedly holding roughly 36 kilos of heroin wrapped in black tape.
First-degree charges carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000, while third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000.