Two Newark men were arraigned today on multiple drug charges following their arrests yesterday, along with four other suspects, as a result of two investigations conducted by Essex County sheriff’s detectives.
Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that the first plainclothes surveillance operation was conducted at noon on Monday near the intersection of South 18th Street and Avon Avenue in response to numerous neighborhood complaints of drug trafficking in the area.
Three suspects, later identified as Alquan Jenkins, 27 of Newark, Quadri Cureton, 34 of Newark, and Camall Baines, 31 of Orange, were observed loitering in front of 822 South 18th Street, Sheriff Fontoura said. A male passersby separately approached Cureton and Baines and engaged them in brief conversations which resulted in the exchange of items from the suspects for cash with the passersby.
The passersby, later identified as Robert Lee, 48 of Irvington, and John Gosser, 27 of Newark, were followed from the scene.
Lee was found to be in possession of three heroin-filled glassine envelops, stamped ‘PASSION’ in red ink, Fontoura noted.
During the search of Lee one of our officers was stabbed by a hypodermic needle that Lee was carrying. Gosser was also found to be in possession of a similarly marked deck of heroin.
Back at the scene, the sheriff’s Bureau of Narcotics detectives watched as Jenkins walked over to his parked 2000 Cadillac DeVille where he removed many small packages from his trunk and placed them under the hood of his vehicle which he left ajar.
At this point, sheriff’s officers moved in to further investigate, Fontoura added.
Authorities discovered and seized an additional 1540 heroin-filled glassine envelops from under the hood of Jenkin’s car. Cureton was found to be in possession of three decks of heroin while Baines was found to be in possession of one deck of heroin. Additionally, $607 in cash was confiscated from the three suspects.
Jenkins was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of CDS with intent to distribute and possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of Madison Avenue School.
Jenkins was also found to be the subject of an open warrant issued by the Ocean County Superior Court for willful non-support. The suspect’s vehicle was also seized and towed as the sheriff’s department awaits a search warrant for possible weapons and additional narcotics.
Cureton and Baines were both charged with the sale and possession of CDS. They were issued summonses, released and will be arraigned on November 2nd.
Lee and Gosser were lodged at the county jail on Monday’s drug charges as well as being the subjects of open warrants issued by the Newark and Roseland municipal courts.
At today’s arraignment, Jenkins was ordered held at the county jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
Later on Monday, a second BON plainclothes investigation was staged near the intersection of Crane and Webster streets.
“A suspect, Derrick Jones, 56 of Newark, known to our officers from prior arrests, was observed loitering in the area,” Sheriff Fontoura said. “He was soon approached by a male passerby and exchanged items from his pants pocket for cash with the man.”
Believing they had witnessed a drug transaction, the sheriff’s detectives announced their presence and found Jones to be in possession of 95 heroin-filled glassine envelops, stamped “LION KING” in blue ink.
Jones was charged with possession of CDS, possession of CDS with intent to distribute and possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of Gladys Hillman Jones Charter School.
A canvass of the area for the passerby was unsuccessful.
At today’s arraignment, Jones was ordered held at the county jail in lieu of $75,000 bail.