Weapons/Narcotics Arrests

July 17, 2017

Contact: Sheriff Armando Fontoura (973) 621-4105

Newark – Two suspects, arrested on Friday and Saturday by Essex County sheriff’s detectives, are scheduled to be arraigned today on weapons and drug charges.

Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that officers from his department’s Patrol Division were conducting proactive quality of life operations on Friday at Stephen Crane Village in the city’s North Ward when they observed a suspect standing in front of 45 South Cedar Lane.

“Upon noticing our presence, James Lanier, 19, of Newark, briskly walked away from our officers,” Sheriff Fontoura said.  “Lanier briefly stopped by an adjacent building where he secreted what appeared to be a black handgun into a storm drain.”

Lanier was detained while the drain was searched.

“A fully loaded, 9mm, semi-automatic handgun Ruger with a high capacity magazine was recovered from the drain and Lanier was placed under arrest,” the sheriff added.

Lanier was also found to have been recently released from the county jail on a prior crime for receiving stolen property with conditions set by a court order.

On Saturday, detectives from the sheriff’s Bureau of Narcotics executed a search warrant for the second floor apartment at 116 Garside Street, also in the city’s North Ward.

“Here, the target of our investigation, Dennis Veerden, 25, was found to have 17 heroin-filled envelops, stamped ‘LEBRON JAMES’ in green ink, and $73 in cash in his shorts pocket,” Fontoura noted.  “An additional 166 similarly marked decks of heroin were also discovered in a pants pocket in the suspect’s bedroom along with a loaded, .380 caliber, Cobra semi-automatic handgun with a 30-round magazine clip.”

Lanier was charged with the unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a high capacity ammunition magazine and contempt of a judicial order.

Veerden was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of Franklin Street School, possession of CDS within 500 feet of a public housing complex and possession of a handgun while committing a CDS crime.

Both suspects are currently lodged at the Essex County jail.

Mid-Echelon Drug Dealer Arrested

July 14, 2017

Contact: Sheriff Armando Fontoura (973) 621-4105

Newark – An alleged mid-echelon drug dealer was arrested Thursday night and ¼ of a kilo of cocaine was seized by Essex County sheriff’s detectives.

Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that officers from his department’s Bureau of Narcotics, armed with a search warrant, conducted a plainclothes surveillance operation at 375 North 11th Street last night as part of on-going investigations into drug trafficking in the city’s North Ward.

“Upon establishing their positions, our officers observed the target of our investigation, 22-year-old German Pereyra, exit his residence with a brown paper bag,” Sheriff Fontoura said.  “Pereyra was followed by our BON detectives when he entered a 2008 Honda Odyssey and drove away from the scene.”

Fontoura added that the officers conducted a motor vehicle stop of the Odyssey as Pereyra approached Clara Maass Medical Center in Belleville.

“In announcing our presence, our officers observed as the suspect tossed the paper bag into the back seat of the station wagon,” the sheriff noted.  “When the bag hit the back seat 208 grams of bulk cocaine, wrapped in clear plastic, and drug packaging paraphernalia spilled out.”

Pereyra was placed under arrest and the search warrant was executed at his residence.

“In the suspect’s hallway, our officers discovered a shoe box that contained an additional 200 cocaine-filled envelops and additional drug paraphernalia, including a grinder, a digital scale and other drug-related items.”

The estimated street value of the narcotics is $15,000

Pereyra was charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of the Abington Avenue and the Elliott Street school annexes, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of the First Avenue Library and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Pereyra was also issued a summons for transporting narcotics in a motor vehicle and he was found to the subject of an open warrant issued by the Kearney municipal court.

Pereyra was lodged at the county jail where he awaits a bail hearing on Thursday’s charges.

Aggravated Assault in Branch Brook Park

July 15, 2017

Contact: Sheriff Armando Fontoura (973) 621-4105

Newark – A male suspect with a lengthy criminal history was arrested last night by Essex County sheriff’s detectives and charged with the brutal attack on a 34-year-old female victim at Branch Brook Park in the late Saturday evening/early Sunday morning hours of July 8 – 9, 2017.

Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that the suspect, John T. Wilson, 56, was released from South Woods State Prison in Bridgeton, N. J. for a 1999 Essex County manslaughter conviction and was still on parole after serving 17 years of a maximum 20-year sentence.  The suspect was tracked to a halfway house on Newark’s Fulton Street where he was taken into custody without incident.

Wilson has been charged with attempted murder and aggravated assault.

“Our parks are safe havens for our residents and their children,” the sheriff noted.  “Our department took this crime personally and invested every resource at our disposal to solve this vicious attack.”

“We commend our detectives who operated under the supervision of Captain Vito D’Alessio and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Special Victims Unit which assisted us throughout this investigation,” Sheriff Fontoura said.  “Bringing this case to a quick and successful conclusion entailed good old fashioned police work and modern technology.  We knocked on every door, followed every lead and gained our biggest break through video surveillance cameras in the area which revealed the suspect and the victim walking together on the night of the crime.”

Fontoura added that Wilson had been on parole for one year and one day before the attack which took place just yards away from the New Jersey Light Rail Station on Heller Parkway.

Wilson was lodged at the county jail where he awaits a bail hearing on today’s charges.

Stephen Crane Village Heroin/Crack Arrests

February 17, 2017

Contact: Sheriff Armando Fontoura (973) 621-4105

Newark – For the second day in a row Essex County sheriff’s detectives arrested a suspected drug dealer who was operating on the premises of the Stephen Crane Village public housing complex.

Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that in response to continuous neighborhood complaints of open-air drug trafficking at the housing complex officers from his department’s Bureau of Narcotics staged a plainclothes surveillance operation in the vicinity of Building #7, located at 946 Franklin Avenue, on Thursday afternoon.

“Here, a suspect, later identified as Charlvester Anthony, 22 of Newark, was observed loitering in the area,” Sheriff Fontoura said.  “He was soon approached on foot by Alis Ortiz, 41 of Newark, and after a brief conversation between the suspects Anthony exchanged items from his waistband with Ortiz for cash.”

The sheriff’s BON detectives followed Ortiz and detained him for questioning a few blocks away from the scene where Ortiz admitted to having just purchased two heroin-filled glassine envelops, stamped “CALL OF DUTY” in green ink.

“Our officers then moved in to further investigate Anthony,” Fontoura noted.  “He was found to be in possession of 88 similarly marked decks of heroin, 11 zip-lock bags of ‘crack’ cocaine and $159 in cash, all of which were seized and Anthony was placed under arrest.”

Anthony was charged with 10 criminal counts for the sale, possession and distribution of controlled dangerous substances.

Ortiz was charged with one count of possession of CDS and he was found to be the subject of an open warrant issued by the Madison municipal court.

The Essex County Prosecutor’s Screening Unit approved all the charges and Anthony and Ortiz were lodged at the county jail where they await a bail hearing.

North Ward Weapon/Drug Arrest

February 16, 2017

Contact: Sheriff Armando Fontoura (973) 621-4105

Newark – Two suspects were arrested yesterday by Essex County sheriff’s detectives as the result of separate investigations in the city’s North Ward and drug and weapons charges were filed against them.

Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that officers from his department’s Bureau of Narcotics conducted plainclothes surveillance operations on Wednesday at Stephen Crane Village and at Broadway and Crane Street.

“At Stephen Crane Village, our detectives observed a suspect, later identified as Shahid Cromer, 21 of Newark, sitting behind the wheel of his parked 2008 Ford Fusion on Cedar Lane,” Sheriff Fontoura said.  “Cromer was soon approached by a female.  After a brief conversation, Cromer exchanged items from his vehicle’s center console with the woman for cash.”

When the woman walked away from the scene the sheriff’s BON detectives boxed in Cromer’s car and announced their presence.

“The handle of a silver handgun was observed protruding from the center console and Cromer was ordered out of his car,” Fontoura added.  “As he exited his vehicle, Cromer then kicked a green cardboard box under the driver’s seat.  The box and the center console were found to contain 847 heroin-filled glassine envelopes, stamped “OOH WEE” in red ink, 247 small zip-lock bags and an additional large plastic sandwich bag of ‘crack’ cocaine and 6 grams of marijuana.”

The weapon, a fully loaded, .25 caliber, Gecado semi-automatic handgun, and a cache of ammunition were seized.  Also seized was $155 in cash.

Earlier on Wednesday, the sheriff’s BON detectives staged an undercover operation near the intersection of Crane Street and Broadway.

“Arriving on the scene were a female suspect and 43-year-old Luis Rodriguez of Newark,” Sheriff Fontoura noted.  “The two suspects were observed walking into the parking lot of 7 Crane Street where the woman removed a package that was secreted behind a garbage dumpster and handed it to Rodriguez.”

Rodriguez was followed to 82 Broadway.  As he loitered in the area, the sheriff’s detectives moved in to further investigate.

“Rodriguez was found to be in possession of 137 heroin-filled glassine envelopes, stamped “WARRIOR” in blue ink and he was placed under arrest,” the sheriff said.

A search for the female suspect proved negative.

The combined street value of the narcotics seized as a result of these two arrests is approximately $15,000.

Cromer was charged with 14 criminal counts, including the unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon while committing a narcotics crime, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and the possession and intent to distribute CDS.  He was also issued summonses for possession of CDS in a motor vehicle and for being an unlicensed driver.

Rodriguez was charged with possession of CDS, possession of CDS with intent to distribute and possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of Barringer 9th Grade Academy.  Rodriguez was also found to be the subject of an open warrant issued by the Newark municipal court.

The charges against both suspects were approved by the Essex County Prosecutor’s screening unit and both suspects were lodged at the county jail where they await a bail hearing.

Luis Rodriguez
Luis Rodriguez