Galloway Police Help Bust Egg Harbor City Heroin Ring

A joint undercover narcotics investigation resulted in the dismantling of a large organized heroin trafficking ring operating out of an Egg Harbor City apartment complex, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced.

On Wednesday, Dec. 18, members of the Prosecutor’s Office Guns, Gangs and Narcotics Unit, the Atlantic County Emergency Response Team and the Egg Harbor City, Galloway Township and Pleasantville Police Departments simultaneously executed search warrants at two units in the Philadelphia Village Housing Complex located at 1000 Buffalo Avenue.

Authorities seized 11 bricks of heroin (approximately 550 bags) with an estimated street value of over $10,000. A loaded .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun, a loaded .357 caliber handgun, numerous rounds of ammunition, $4,500 in small bills, a scale and a two-way radio communications system were also seized.

The two residents of the searched units Ernest Collier, 18, and Chaise Hill, 35, were arrested and charged with second-degree possession of heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute and conspiracy. Additionally, Hill was charged with unlawful possession of a handgun and possession of a hand gun for an unlawful purpose.

Following the arrests of Collier and Hill, law enforcement officers served arrest warrants to multiple other members of the trafficking ring throughout Atlantic County. Those arrests include; Steven Martinez, 19, Tyshon Nieves, 22, Jamil Highsmith, 45, Keleen Simpson, 32, all of Egg Harbor City, Mike Jeril, 32, of Atlantic City, April Hill, 45, of Millville, and Donald Dillard, 56.

The arrests are the results of a 7-month-long cooperative undercover narcotics operation in response to numerous complaints from the citizens of Egg Harbor City.

Martinez and April Hill were both charged with second-degree possession of heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute and conspiracy. Nieves and Highsmith were both charged with possession of heroin and possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

Jeril was charged with possession of cocaine and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.

Simpson was charged with possession of heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, unlawful possession of a handgun and possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose.

Dillard was charged with obstruction of the administration of law and resisting arrest.

As the investigation into the drug trafficking ring progresses, additional charges and arrests are forthcoming.

The public is encouraged to assist in the efforts of combating, reducing and dismantling narcotics and firearm distribution networks within the county by sharing information with law enforcement. Information can be provided to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at (609)-909-7800, the Egg Harbor City Police Department at (609)-965-2901 or anonymously to Atlantic County Crime Stoppers at (609)-652-1234 or 1-(800)-658-8477.

— News release from the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office