Newark – Three suspects were arrested in two separate arrests last night and two handguns and narcotics were recovered by Essex County sheriff’s detectives.
Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that officers from his department’s Bureau of Narcotics conducted a plainclothes surveillance operation near the intersection of North 13th Street and 6th Avenue early Monday evening in response to neighborhood complaints of drug trafficking in the area.
“Our detectives watched as Nadir Johnson, 26 of Newark, loitered in the area,” Sheriff Fontoura said. “A second suspect, later identified as Ibn Jackson, 28, also of Newark, pulled up to the scene and double-parked his 2013 Mazda. After a brief conversation between the suspects, Johnson exchanged items from his pants pocket with Jackson for cash.”
Jackson was followed from the scene and was stopped a few blocks away.
“Jackson readily admitted that he had just purchased four grams of marijuana from Johnson,” Fontoura noted. “A pat-down search of Jackson for officer safety revealed that he was also in possession of 44 vials of ‘crack’ cocaine and 33 heroin-filled envelops, stamped ‘MAY WEATHER’ in black ink.”
Just as the sheriff’s officers moved in to further investigate Johnson, the suspect walked into the backyard of 55 North 13th Street.
“Johnson was seen climbing over a fence and, as he did, a silver handgun fell from his waistband,” the sheriff added. “After a brief foot chase this suspect was also taken into custody and a fully loaded, .357 Rossi Magnum was recovered.”
Later in the evening while on routine foot patrol at Branch Brook Park, sheriff’s officers detected the odor of burnt marijuana and could see a cloud of smoke near a patron of a game at the basketball courts.
“Here, our officers observed as Marquis Mitchell, 32 of Newark, was in the process of rolling a marijuana cigarette,” Fontoura pointed out. “During a pat-down search Mitchell was found to be in possession of a .40 caliber Smith and Wesson semi-automatic that was fully loaded with illegal hollow point bullets.”
Johnson was charged with the unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, possession of a weapon while committing a narcotics crime, possession of hollow point bullets, resisting arrest, and the possession, sale and distribution of a controlled dangerous substance.
Jackson was charged with multiple counts of the possession and intent to distribute CDS.
Mitchell was charged with the unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon, possession of hollow point bullets and possession of CDS.
All three suspects were lodged at the county jail where they await bail hearing on Monday night’s charges.