Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced the indictment of three alleged New York City-based heroin traffickers as a result of an investigation by members of the Atlantic City Task Force and federal agents of ICE Homeland Security Investigations that led to the seizure of 3 kilos of heroin in Atlantic City last year.
The Division of Criminal Justice Specialized Crimes Bureau yesterday obtained an Atlantic County grand jury indictment charging the following men with first-degree possession of heroin with intent to distribute, second-degree conspiracy to distribute heroin, second-degree possession of heroin with intent to distribute within 500 feet of the Atlantic City Boardwalk, and third-degree possession of heroin:
* Steven Rodriguez, 23, of Queens, N.Y.,
* Edwin Gomez, 32, of Brooklyn, N.Y., and
* Steven Torres, 25, of Brooklyn, N.Y.
Officials said the three men were arrested in June 2017 in Atlantic City by members of the Atlantic City Task Force – led in this case by the Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department – and federal agents of HSI. An investigation by the partnering agencies revealed that a drug trafficking organization was transporting large quantities of heroin from New York City into Atlantic City. Through the investigation, the agencies developed information that the three defendants allegedly were planning to deliver a large amount of heroin to a location on the beach block of Saint James Place.
According to authorities, when Torres and Gomez arrived in a parking lot on Saint James Place at about 1 p.m. on June 15, 2017, they were placed under arrest. Approximately 3 kilograms of heroin, wrapped in plastic bags, were seized from the van they were operating. Rodriguez was arrested nearby in an SUV. He allegedly drove to the area with Gomez and took part in the delivery of the heroin.
The ACTF includes the Division of Criminal Justice, New Jersey State Police, State Parole Board, Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office, Atlantic City Police Department, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department and Brigantine Police Department. The task force frequently partners with HSI Cherry Hill, the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco Firearms and Explosives, and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration.
“The heroin seized in this case could have been cut and packaged to yield 60,000 doses – enough doses for every person living in Atlantic City and neighboring Pleasantville,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “The Atlantic City Task Force has been highly effective in leveraging law enforcement resources, in cooperation with its federal partners, to reduce drug dealing and gun violence in and around Atlantic City.”
The first-degree charge carries a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $500,000. The second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $150,000, while the third-degree charge carries a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $75,000.
The indictment is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.