Five suspects were arraigned this morning on multiple drug charges following their arrests yesterday in two separate raids conducted by federal and county narcotics investigators.
Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that detectives from his department’s Bureau of Narcotics and agents from the federal Drug Enforcement Administration executed simultaneous search warrants at two locations as part of an on-going investigation at Wynona Lipman Gardens on Wednesday afternoon.
Sheriff Fontoura said the task force officers announced their presence at 133 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard made a forced entry into the ground floor apartment after hearing persons inside the residence yelling “Police, police”.
The occupants, Alvin Clay, age 49, and Sharon Griffin, age 52, were detained while the apartment was searched. Fontoua said the task force officers discovered a plastic bag containing seven grams of ‘crack’ cocaine, 62 glassine envelopes of heroin, stamped “American Sniper” in red ink, an additional 34 vials of ‘crack’ cocaine and an assortment of narcotics processing and packaging materials in the living room closet.
The BON detectives and DEA agents also discovered a black metal tube on a planter on the sill of the bathroom window. The tube contained an additional five glassine envelopes containing heroin. A subsequent search of Clay found him to be in possession of an additional eight glassine envelopes of heroin, also stamped “American Sniper."
Meanwhile, the second search warrant was executed down the block at 145 Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard. At this location, Shonta Patterson, 27, fought with and attempted to block the officers from entering the apartment. Patterson was forcibly handcuffed. Also detained in the apartment were Naim Smith, 32 and a nephew of suspect Alvin Clay, 27-year-old Diane Montgomery of East Orange.
On a table top in the bedroom, officers discovered 20 plastic zip-lock bags containing marijuana and a variety of drug processing paraphernalia. An additional 20 bags of marijuana were found in Montgomery’s handbag.
"The on-going investigation and subsequent arrests were prompted by neighborhood complaints of drug trafficking in the area,” Sheriff Fontoura noted.
Clay and Griffin were both charged with two counts each of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of St. Lucy School and possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public housing complex. The two suspects were also charged with conspiracy to violate New Jersey’s narcotics laws.
Smith and Montgomery were both charged with possession of CDS, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of St. Lucy School, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public housing complex, possession of narcotics paraphernalia and conspiracy to violate New Jersey’s narcotics laws.
Patterson was charged with obstruction of the administration of law and resisting arrest by force.
At today’s arraignment, Judge Marilyn Williams set bail on Clay at $125,000. Bail on Griffin was set at $100,000.
Smith’s bail was set at $75,000.
Montgomery’s bail was set at $55,000 and Patterson’s bail was set at $60,000.
All five suspects were remanded to the Essex County Correctional Facility.