March 24, 2017

Contact: Sheriff Armando Fontoura (973) 621-4105

Newark – An alleged drug dealer, his accomplice and two other suspects were arrested yesterday morning by Essex County sheriff’s detectives resulting in weapons and narcotics charges being filed against the alleged dealer and drug charges filed against the other three suspects.

Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that officers from his department’s Bureau of Narcotics staged a plainclothes surveillance operation in the area of Ridgewood and Avon avenues on Thursday morning in response to numerous neighborhood complaints of open-air drug trafficking at that location.

“Our detectives observed as Cedric Lewis, 26 of East Orange, and James Holmes, 43 of Newark, paced back and forth through the rear yard at 33 Ridgewood Avenue,” Sheriff Fontoura said.  “Lewis was soon approached by a female and after a brief conversation removed items from a 2008 Chevrolet Impala that was parked in the driveway.  Lewis exchanged these items with the woman for cash.”

Lewis was also approached by Raymond Miller, 57 of Newark, and a similar transaction took place.  As with the female, Miller left the scene on foot.

“While our search for the female proved unsuccessful Miller was detained a few blocks away and he was found to be in possession of five heroin-filled glassine envelops, stamped ‘100’ in red ink, and placed under arrest,” Fontoura added.

Back at the scene, the sheriff’s detectives moved in to further investigate.

“By now, Lewis and Holmes had been joined by a female, later identified as Jahni Daniels, 23 of Newark,” the sheriff noted.  “On the floorboard of Lewis’s vehicle our officers recovered a fully loaded, .45 caliber Taurus semi-automatic handgun which had been reported stolen out of North Carolina.  Holmes was found to be holding an additional 17 similarly marked decks of heroin in his waistband and Daniels voluntarily admitted that she was in possession of 50 zip-lock bags of marijuana.”

Lewis was charged with the unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon while committing a narcotics crime, the sale of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of CDS, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of SOS Academy, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of public housing and receiving stolen property.

Holmes was charged with failure to lawfully dispose CDS and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Miller and Daniels were each charged with possession of CDS.

Lewis was lodged at the county jail where he awaits a bail hearing.

Holmes, Miller and Daniels were issued summonses and released in their own recognizance.  All three suspects were given a court date of April 7, 2017 to answer to Thursday’s charges.