Union County Prosecutors Office ​: Narcotics Investigation Yields 19 Complaints

Press release from Union County Prosecutors Office:

August 30, 2021

A long-term investigation led by the Union County Prosecutor’s Office’s Major Crimes Division has yielded 19 complaints and the seizure of significant quantities of narcotics, Union County Prosecutor William A. Daniel announced Monday.

Search warrants were simultaneously executed at six locations early Wednesday last week within the Joanne Hollis Gardens community and other locations in Plainfield. Twelve of the nineteen individuals charged in this investigation have been arrested. A total of over 100 grams of crack/cocaine, 800 glassine envelopes of heroin, 9 grams of raw heroin, 1.5 grams of fentanyl, and 1 firearm with a large capacity magazine were seized during the operation.

These arrests come as the result of a several months-long investigation led by Detectives in the Major Crimes Division’s Intelligence-Driven Prosecution Unit.

Legal guidance and supervision throughout the case was provided by Major Crimes Division Legal Supervisor Peter DeRose and Assistant Prosecutor Alaina Caliendo.

“I am grateful to the members of the Prosecutor’s Office for their tireless dedication throughout this investigation,” said Prosecutor Daniel. “Together with the partnership of local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies, our efforts to reduce violence and positively impact the communities we serve continue.”

This multi-agency investigation included collaboration and support from the ATF Newark Field Division under the supervision of Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews, the Plainfield Police Department under Officer-In-Charge Captain David Guarino, and with assistance from the Drug Enforcement Agency Newark Field Division High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Group 1, Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Union County Sheriff’s Office, and the police departments of Summit, Westfield, Cranford, Union County, and Berkeley Heights. The Union County Emergency Response Team (UCERT) SWAT Unit assisted with search warrant execution.

“ATF will continue to work cooperatively with our local, state, and federal partners to strategically and proactively target individuals who contribute to violent crimes in our communities,” said ATF Special Agent in Charge Matthews. “The results of this investigation demonstrate the common goals and resolve of all the parties involved. I commend their efforts.”

The defendants arrested as a result of this investigation include:

Convictions on first-degree criminal charges are commonly punishable by 10 to 20 years, second-degree criminal charges are commonly punishable by 5 to 10 years, and third-degree crimes can result in 3 to 5 years.

These criminal charges are mere accusations. Each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

This press release was produced by Union County Prosecutors Office. The views expressed here are the author’s own.