CAMDEN, N.J. – Three members of a drug-trafficking organization have pleaded guilty to their roles in distributing significant amounts of drugs in Camden, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Federal officials say Mr. Ramon Velez, 43, of Camden, pleaded guilty today to an information charging one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl; Mr. Naeem Sadler, 19, also of Camden, pleaded guilty today to an information charging one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin within 1,000 feet of a school; Ms. Elisa Rivera, 27, of Camden, pleaded guilty on Oct. 29, 2019, to an information charging one count of conspiracy to distribute heroin within 1,000 feet of a school, all before U.S. District Judge Renee Marie Bumb in Camden federal court.
Five other members of the drug-trafficking conspiracy based on the 500 block of Pine Street in Camden – Ronnie Lopez, Nelson Salcedo, Paul Salcedo, Waldemar Garcia, and William Carrillo – previously have pleaded guilty in this case.
The charges against 11 other defendants remain pending, and they are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
An investigation led by the FBI used surveillance, confidential informants, consensual recordings, over 40 controlled drug purchases, record checks, a GPS vehicle tracker, and several court-authorized wiretaps to uncover the operations of the drug-trafficking organization.
The counts to which Rivera and Sadler pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $2 million fine.
The count to which Velez pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 40 years in prison, and a $5 million fine. Sentencing for all three defendants is scheduled for Feb. 7, 2020.