NEWARK, N.J. – A Somerset County, New Jersey, man is expected to appear in court today on an outstanding warrant charging him with narcotics offenses and fleeing from law enforcement, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.
Federal officials said Mr. William T. Bouza, 45, of Watchung, New Jersey, was arrested on Nov. 5, 2019, on a complaint charging him with conspiracy to distribute over one kilogram of heroin and obstructing and impeding federal law enforcement officers.
Bouza is scheduled to appear this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Michael A. Hammer in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
In February 2019, Bouza arranged for a vehicle that was equipped with a secret compartment, or “trap,” containing over 16 kilograms of heroin, to be shipped from California to Union County, New Jersey.
Law enforcement officers intercepted the vehicle, seized the narcotics, and arranged for a controlled delivery. Law enforcement officers observed Bouza enter the area, but he departed prior to taking possession of the vehicle. Bouza’s narcotics-related activities continued over the following months.
In October 2019, law enforcement officers determined that Bouza was storing and processing narcotics for street-level distribution at multiple locations in Essex County, New Jersey. Officers approached Bouza, who fled in a motor vehicle and attempted to ram a law enforcement vehicle in an effort to elude law enforcement.
Law enforcement officers subsequently discovered over 1,000 packages, or “bricks,” of heroin, each containing approximately 50 individual doses, in one of Bouza’s stash houses. They also seized over $400,000 in cash from one of Bouza’s other stash houses.
The conspiracy to distribute heroin count carries a maximum penalty of life in prison, a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a $10 million fine. The obstructing and impeding federal law enforcement officers charge carries a maximum penalty of eight years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine.