Essex County Sheriff’s Office

NEWS RELEASE

July 3, 2018

Contact: Sheriff Armando Fontoura (973) 621-4105

 Newark – In back to back plainclothes investigations this morning and last night in Newark’s West Ward five suspects were arrested by Essex County Sheriff’s detectives and weapons and drug charges were filed against them.

Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that officers from his department’s Bureau of Narcotics were at the intersection of Ridgewood and Avon avenues on this morning in response to numerous neighborhood complaints of open-air drug trafficking.

Here, the Sheriff’s detectives watched as Jarrod Nelson, 52, Jaqua Carmon, 18, and Quamir Williams, 24, all of Newark, loitered in front of 19 Ridgewood Avenue.

“David Battle, 47, also of Newark, soon pulled up and stopped his 2006 Hyundai Aze sedan at that location,” Sheriff Fontoura said.  “After a brief conversation, Nelson exchanged items from his waistband with Battle for cash.  The cash was then handed over to Williams.”

Battle was followed from the scene and a motor vehicle stop was conducted.  Battle was found to be in possession of two heroin-filled envelops, stamped “BOSS’ in black ink and placed under arrest.

Back at the scene, the Sheriff’s BON detectives announced their presence.

“As Nelson attempted to walk away, he dropped the plastic bag from his waistband into a nearby trash can and Carmon did the same with a loaded, .25 caliber, Taurus semi-automatic handgun before he ran from the scene,” Fontoura noted.  “Carmon was quickly captured and he and Nelson and Williams were taken into custody.”

A search of the trash can yielded the gun and 20 additional similarly marked decks of heroin.

On Monday night, the Essex County Sheriff’s detectives responded to similar complaints of open-air drug trafficking at the intersection of Avon Avenue and South 10^th Street.

At this location, the Sheriff’s officers observed as Stephon Daniels, 36 of Newark, walked to the backyard of 727 South 10^th Street.

“Here, Daniels was seen removing items from a plastic bag that were secreted in an abandoned RV,” Fontoura noted.  “Upon moving in to further investigate, our officers discovered and seized 160 vials of ‘crack’ cocaine and 71 bags of marijuana.”

Nelson and Williams were each charged with two counts of the sale and distribution 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 Avon Avenue School and possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of public housing.  The two suspects were also charged with conspiracy to violate New Jersey’s narcotics laws.

Carmon was charged with the unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes and resisting arrest.

Battle was charged with possession of CDS.  He was also found to be the subject of an outstanding warrant issued by the Newark municipal court.

Daniels with two counts of possession of CDS, possession of CDS with intent to distribute and possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of public housing.

All five suspects were lodged at the county jail where they await bail hearings on these charges.