By: Richatd L. Smith
In a significant crackdown on drug trafficking in Essex County, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced the indictment of five individuals for their roles in a drug trafficking organization.
Charged with conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, the accused are Mr. Fuquan Williams, 33; Mr. Dwight Dixon, 52; Mr. Nafee Patterson, 41; Mr. Jabriel Mason, 20; and Mr. Daqwuan Barkley, 29.
The legal process initiated with a complaint on November 1, 2023, followed by a superseding complaint on November 9 that included gun offenses.
This comes after the recovery of multiple firearms during the defendants' arrests.
The group, operating in the vicinity of Kent and Brenner streets in Newark, is believed to be part of an open-air narcotics market.
Their affiliation with the Sex, Money, Murder subset of the Bloods street gang has also been identified.
While Mason, Patterson, and Barkley were released on bail following their appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III, Williams and Dixon are currently detained pending trial.
Patterson faces additional charges, including firearm possession by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine.
Williams is separately charged with possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
The arrests led to the seizure of multiple loaded firearms and further quantities of narcotics, underscoring the significant impact of this law enforcement action on local drug operations.
CLARIFICATION: Authorities have clarified that an image initially released depicting Fuquan Williams was incorrect and has since been removed. The image, previously shared, did not represent the individual involved. The corrected information has been updated, and the erroneous image has been taken down.