A Monmouth County Grand Jury has indicted forty-four people, many of whom were charged in February in a large sweep undertaken by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and a number of other law enforcement agencies, announced Acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
The 219-count indictment includes charges against members of the “Bloods” and “Crips” criminal street gangs. An Asbury Park Police Department patrolman was also indicted as part of the criminal organization, in addition to the two owners of a pawn shop in Neptune City.
The 14-month investigation, dubbed “Operation Dead End,” began in the summer 2013 in conjunction with law enforcement efforts to stem violent street crimes and firearms offenses in Asbury Park. During the investigation, members of the criminal organization and their conspirators based their criminal activities out of two dead end streets in Asbury Park – Dewitt Avenue, and a section of Jersey Street in the Washington Village Public Housing Complex.
The investigation revealed that members of the criminal organization acted together on numerous occasions to commit a series of armed robberies, residential burglaries, and thefts, and included an organized shoplifting ring that had an established relationship with the owners of a local pawn shop. The investigation further revealed that members of the criminal organization regularly conspired to commit several different firearms-related offenses including unlawfully possessing firearms, transferring guns between various members of the criminal organization, and targeting rival gang members and enemies for shootings. The investigation also revealed that members of the criminal organization supported their criminal activities by distributing narcotics including cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, and “molly,” a form of ecstasy. The investigation further revealed the coordinated efforts of members of the organization to distract law enforcement and conduct counter-surveillance of law enforcement, which included obtaining the assistance of an Asbury Park police officer who provided information to the leaders of the organization.
Two of the leaders of the criminal enterprise – James Fair, 26, and Altyreek Leonard, 21,both of Asbury Park – conspired with several other members of the criminal enterprise to obtain and transfer guns amongst the organization and to target rival street gang members for shootings. To that end, Fair and Leonard directed others within the criminal organization to notify them when their enemies were located and to then assist Fair and/or Leonard in attempting to shoot at their enemies. For their roles in directing and planning these crimes, as well as other crimes including robbery, burglary, and firearms possession, Fair and Leonard were both charged with promoting organized street crime and racketeering conspiracy.
The members of the criminal organization with whom Fair and Leonard conspired to possess, transfer and/or use firearms include: Harry Clayton, 34; Alexander Walton, 19; Haneef Walker, 22; Clarence Jackson 3rd, 26; Corderian Strickland,27; Anthony Lanier, 21; Richard Hammond, 32; Tyrice Berry, 21; Todd Howard, 23; Jashawn Mack, 26; Tarik Cox, 23; Ja’air Butler, 18; Kyre Wallace, 27; and Tishonda Walker, 26, all of Asbury Park; Imere Meredith 21, of Neptune; Anthony Esdaile, 32, of Neptune City; Bilaal Scurdy, 21, of Long Branch; Quiana Robinson, 20, of Tinton Falls; Ayres Gray, 18, of Manalapan; Anthony Long, 33,of Freehold Township; and Deron Anglin, 27, of Newark. In addition to firearms offenses, these individuals were charged with racketeering conspiracy for their association and involvement in the criminal enterprise.
Tyan Harvey,22, of Newark, and Alvin Durham, 26, of Union, were also charged with firearms offenses arising from a gun recovered by the police during a motor vehicle stop.
Additionally, Patrolman Keith German, 46, of Tinton Falls, a 16-year veteran officer of the Asbury Park Police Department, assisted the members of the criminal organization in avoiding detection and prosecution by providing them with confidential law enforcement information, including on one occasion unlawfully accessing a law enforcement database. German also sought and obtained Fair’s help in the course of stalking a victim, which at various times occurred while German was on duty as a police officer.
Members of the criminal enterprise also developed a relationship with Frederick K. Ecke, 3rd, 28, and Eric J. Fitzgerald, 28, both of Toms River, who are the owners/managers of Cash It In, a pawn shop located in Neptune City. Over the course of the investigation, members of the criminal organization, including Fair, Haneef Walker, Jackson, Tishonda Walker, Shayvon Raynor, 21, of Asbury Park, and Tyasia Williams, 24, of Neptune Township, acted together to shoplift from area stores and sell the merchandise to Ecke and Fitzgerald at Cash It In. Ecke and Fitzgerald then sold the stolen merchandise on eBay through their business eBay account. For their roles in this organized shoplifting scheme, Ecke, Fitzgerald, Raynor, and Williams were charged with racketeering conspiracy, as well as other theft-related offenses.
Fair and Leonard also conspired with other members of the criminal organization to distribute heroin, crack cocaine, oxycodone, and “molly” in the Asbury Park area. Those other members include: Latoya Tatum, 28, Jacquil Jones, 25, Eugene Wilmore, 25, all of Asbury Park, Amanda Howland, 22, of Neptune City; Sammie Curtis, 58, of Neptune, and Rogerio Pereira, 30, of Eatontown, who were also charged with racketeering conspiracy for their involvement in the criminal enterprise, as well as Long, Clayton, Haneef Walker, Jackson, Howard, Mack, Berry, Scurdy, Robinson, Lanier, and Hammond.
Several other defendants were charged with conspiracy to possess a controlled dangerous substance and possession of a controlled dangerous substance for purchasing narcotics from members of the criminal enterprise, including the following individuals: Frank C. Vanness, 56, and Jane Brown, 63, both of Neptune Township; Roccal Gilmore, 42, of Spotswood; Brittany Collora, 24, of Ocean Grove; Jammara Kemp, 25, of South River, Justice T. Sharpe, 20, of Ocean, and Tysana Taylor, 46, and Rashan Bragg, 34, both of Asbury Park.
To-date, law enforcement has seized five firearms, two vehicles used in support of the criminal enterprise, and quantities of cocaine, heroin, oxycodone, and “molly.”
Alexander Walton, 19, of Asbury Park,Richard Hammond, 32, of Asbury Park, Anthony Long, 33, of Freehold Township, and Justice T.Sharpe, 20, of Ocean remain fugitives at-large.