Two suspects, scheduled for arraignment later today, were arrested yesterday afternoon on multiple gun and narcotics charges by Essex County sheriff’s detectives.
Responding to numerous neighborhood complaints of drug trafficking in the area of Bloomfield and Watsessing avenues, Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that detectives from his department’s Bureau of Narcotics conducted a plainclothes surveillance operation at that location on Wednesday afternoon.
“Our officers observed as two suspects with lengthy criminal records, Joseph Marano, 27 of Newark, and Jagain Wilcox, 23 of East Orange, drove a 2012 Hyundai Sonata into the rear parking lot of Jeanette Apartments, located at 270 Bloomfield Avenue, where they remained inside their vehicle.”
As the suspects sat inside the vehicle, the sheriff’s BON detectives observed as Marano and Wilcox repeatedly examined the contents of a clear plastic sandwich bag which was located on the car’s center console.
“After a few minutes, our officers moved in to further investigate,” Sheriff Fontoura said. “The plastic bag was found to contain 367 heroin-filled glassine envelops, stamped ‘GREEN IS GOOD” in green ink. Wilcox was also found to be in possession of a loaded, .25 caliber Sterling semi-automatic handgun.”
A subsequent investigation revealed that the handgun had been reported stolen out of Cedar Grove on October 30, 2016.
Marano and Wilcox were both placed under arrest and charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of Berkeley School, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of Berkeley Park and conspiracy to violate New Jersey’s narcotics laws.
Wilcox was additionally charged with the unlawful possession of a weapon, the unlawful possession of a weapon while committing a narcotics crime, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and possession of a stolen weapon.
Marano was also issued two summonses for transporting CDS in a motor vehicle and for being an unlicensed driver. Wilcox was also found to be wanted on open criminal warrants for wandering in a known drug area and for aggravated assault.
Both Marano and Wilcox are being held at the Essex County jail on cash bonds of $150,000 each.