Essex County Sheriff’s Office

NEWS RELEASE

July 7, 2018

Contact: Sheriff Armando Fontoura (973) 621-4105

Newark – Three male suspects were arrested this morning in the Weequahic section of Newark by Essex County sheriff’s detectives and multiple drug charges were filed against them.

Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that officers from his department’s Bureau of Narcotics conducted a plainclothes surveillance operation at 7:00 a.m. on Saturday at the intersection of Chancellor Avenue and Schley Street in response to neighborhood complaints of local open-air drug trafficking.

“Our detectives observed as Donald Canty, 49, loitered in the area as if waiting for someone,” Sheriff Fontoura said.  “Soon, Ralph James, 48, arrived on the scene and parked his 2011 Mercedes Benz SUV.  Upon exiting the vehicle, James removed a package from the driver’s front door panel and handed it over to Canty.”

Within minutes, a passerby, Angelo Richardson, 62, engaged Canty in conversation, resulting in an exchange of cash for an item from Canty’s waistband.

“Believing they had just witnessed a narcotics transaction, our officers announced their presence and moved in to further investigate,” Fontoura noted.  “Canty tossed the items from his waistband, 93 heroin-filled envelops, stamped ‘THUMBS UP’ in green ink, to the ground.  James was found to be in possession of an additional 49 decks of heroin and 18 vials of ‘crack’ cocaine.  $42 in alleged drug proceeds was confiscated from Canty and $177 was confiscated from James.”

Richardson was found to be holding one heroin-filled envelope and all three suspects were placed under arrest.  The street value of the narcotics is in excess of $1,500.

Canty and James were each charged with the sale of a controlled dangerous substance to Richardson.  They were also charged with two counts each of possession of CDS, possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of Chancellor Avenue School and possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public park.  Both men were also charged with conspiracy to violate New Jersey’s narcotics laws.

Richardson was issued a summons and released in his own recognizance.  He will be arraigned at a later date.

Canty and James were lodged at the county jail where they await a bail hearing.