Daily Archives: September 25, 2018
Essex County Sheriff’s Office
NEWS RELEASE
September 22, 2018
Contact: Sheriff Armando Fontoura (973) 621-4105
Newark – In two raids by Essex County sheriff’s detectives on Friday afternoon and Saturday morning, six suspects were arrested and $150,000 in heroin and cocaine was seized.
Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that officers from his department’s Bureau of Narcotics staged Friday’s raid at an apartment located over a barber shop at 594 – 596 Broadway in the North Ward and early this morning at the intersection of Ross and Thorne streets in the South Ward. Both raids were the result of on-going investigations into drug trafficking in these areas.
“On Friday afternoon, the targets of our investigation, Alexis Rios, 38, and his alleged accomplice, Josthy Rivera, 26, were detained at their apartment over the barber shop as our officers executed a search warrant for the premises,” Sheriff Fontoura said. “Our search yielded 1865 grams of unprocessed cocaine, $649 in alleged drug proceeds and a wide variety of drug process and packaging materials.”
The sheriff’s detectives conducted a plainclothes surveillance operation in the South Ward this morning.
“Here, we observed three suspects, Antwan Scott, 41 of East Orange, Allen Thomas, 30, and, Chantrell Wright, 46, both of Elizabeth, loitering in the area,” Fontoura added. “A passerby, later identified as Daniel Encarnation, 28, of Elizabeth, engaged in conversation with the suspects, resulting in the exchange of cash for items from Allen’s 2018 Toyota Altima.”
Encarnation was followed from the scene and was found to be in possession of four heroin-filled envelopes, stamped ‘PEPSI’ in red ink. He was placed under arrest.
“Our officers then moved in to further investigate and found and additional 610 similarly marked decks of heroin and $541 in cash in the suspect vehicle,” the sheriff noted.
Scott, Allen, and Wright were charged with the sale and possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public housing complex and conspiracy to violate New Jersey’s narcotics laws.
Wright was also found to be the subject of four open warrants by the Elizabeth municipal court.
Rios and Rivera were each charged with possession of CDS, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of Broadway Elementary School, maintaining and operating a drug distribution facility and conspiracy to violate New Jersey’s narcotics laws.
Scott, Allen, Wright, Rios , and Rivera were all lodged at the county jail where they await bail hearings.
Encarnation was issued a summons and released in his own recognizance. He will be arraigned at a later date.
NEWS RELEASEEssex County Sheriff’s Office
NEWS RELEASE
September 21, 2018
Contact: Sheriff Armando Fontoura (973) 621-4105
Newark – A reputed member of the Bloods street gang who was identified as a former felon and who was on pretrial release for a previous crime was arrested last night by Essex County sheriff’s detectives and Irvington police on gun charges.
Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that the law enforcement task force was conducting proactive patrols on Thursday evening in the area of 11th Avenue and South 8th Street when they observed a 2002 Jeep Grand Cherokee stopped at that intersection.
“The driver, Okbar Gillen, 21, of East Orange, placed the vehicle in reverse and backed down South 8th Street in a careless manner and against on-coming vehicular traffic,” Sheriff Fontoura said.
The officers activated their overhead lights and sirens in executing a motor vehicle stop.
“As our detectives approached, they could see Gillen fumbling around with an item in his front waistband,” Fontoura added. “When the suspect could not produce a valid driver’s license he was asked to step out of the Jeep and place his hands on the top of the car.”
Ignoring directions, Gillen continued to reach for his waistband.
“At that point, he was handcuffed and terry-frisked for officer safety,” the sheriff noted. “The pat-down search yielded a fully loaded, .40 caliber, Taurus semi-automatic handgun from Gillen’s front waistband.”
Gillen was charged with the unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and contempt of a judicial order. He was also issued motor vehicle summonses for careless driving and for being an unlicensed driver.
The suspect was lodged at the county jail where he awaits a bail hearing.
“SAFETY TIP”Essex County Sheriff’s Office
NEWS RELEASE
January 26, 2018
Contact: Sheriff Armando Fontoura (973) 621-4105
Sheriff Advises Motorists:
Buckle Up Passengers in the Back Seats
Newark — Sheriff Armando Fontoura today advised motorists to continue to invest in their safety by buckling up in both the front and back seats of the car seat while traveling.
In 2017, 635 people died in New Jersey as a result of motor vehicle crashes, marking the deadliest year in a decade, and half of those fatalities involved drivers and passengers who were not wearing seatbelts.
“The front seat belt usage rate in New Jersey is currently at over 91%,” Fontoura pointed out. “However, passengers riding in rear seats are only buckling up at a rate of 39%.”
A recent statistical report, issued by the Washington, D. C.- based Advocates for Highway and Auto safety, a coalition of consumer groups and insurance companies, revealed that motor vehicle crashes cost New Jersey $12.9 billion a year, in addition to the loss of lives.
“While New Jersey laws fall short of allowing officers to stop a vehicle whose passengers aren’t wearing rear seatbelts,” Sheriff Fontoura noted, “that shouldn’t be an excuse not to wear this vital safety equipment. With motor vehicle fatalities on the upswing, bucking up the driver and all passengers in seat belts should be the first order of business upon entering a motor vehicle, even before you put the key in the ignition.”
NEWS RELEASEEssex County Sheriff’s Office
NEWS RELEASE
January 24, 2018
Contact: Sheriff Armando Fontoura (973) 621-4105
Newark – A suspect with an extensive criminal history was arrested on weapons and drug charges this morning by detectives from the Essex County Sheriff’s Fugitive Squad.
Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that the officers developed information that Kenneth Durant, 39, was hiding from law enforcement authorities in the first floor apartment at 928 Hunterdon Street in Newark. Durant was wanted for sentencing on prior aggravated assault and gun possession convictions.
“Upon our pre-dawn arrival at the hide-out, our detectives immediately recognized the suspect peering out of a front living room window,” Sheriff Fontoura said. “With the residence surrounded, Durant then ran into the bathroom in a further attempt to hide from us. He was taken into custody without further incident.”
Fontoura added that as a result of the arrest a .357 Ruger revolver, additional ammunition, narcotics processing and packaging materials, and $710 in cash were seized at the apartment.
As a result of today’s arrest, Durant was further charged with the unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon by a convicted felon and possession of narcotics paraphernalia.
Following custody processing, Durant will be lodged at the county jail.