Two alleged drug dealers and a suspected drug buyer were arrested yesterday by Essex County sheriff’s detectives.
Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that officers from his department’s Bureau of Narcotics conducted a plainclothes surveillance operation at the intersection of Newark’s South 18th Street and 14th Avenue at approximately noon Monday in response to complaints of open-air drug trafficking in the area.
Two suspects, Johnal Andrews, 35, and Alonzo McMiller, 30, both of Newark, were observed loitering in front of 444 South 18th Street by the BON detectives.
Minutes later, a 2007 Jeep Cherokee, driven by Tommie Montford, 52 of East Orange, arrived on the scene, Sheriff Fontoura said.
After a brief conversation between Andrews and Montford, Andrews walked over to a parked Oldsmobile Alero where he removed items from the car’s center console and exchanged them with Montford for cash.
Police followed Montford from the scene, and a motor vehicle stop was conducted. During questioning, Montford voluntarily surrendered four heroin-filled glassine envelopes, stamped “PASSION” in red ink and was placed under arrest.
“When our detectives moved in to investigate Andrews and McMiller further, Andrews attempted to run from the scene on foot,” Fontoura noted. “After a brief foot chase through a few backyards, Andrews was apprehended.”
A search of the Oldsmobile yielded an additional 223 similarly marked decks of heroin, 151 glass vials of ‘crack’ cocaine and 132 Alprazolam (a generic of Xanax) tablets.
McMiller was found to be in possession of 13 vials of ‘crack’ cocaine and 15 plastics bags filled with marijuana.
Police charged Andrews with 16 criminal counts, including the possession, sale, and distribution of heroin, cocaine and prescription drugs as well as resisting arrest.
Andrews was lodged at the county jail where he awaits a bail hearing.
McMiller was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, wandering with the intent to sell CDS and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Police charged Montford with possession of CDS.
McMiller and Montford were issued summonses and released.
An arraignment date is set for January 30th.