Sheriff’s Office Tactical Response Team Recovers Weapons and Thousands of Dollars in Illegal Narcotics From Investigation
 

Newark- Two drug suspects were arrested, and a semi-automatic handgun, hollow-point ammunition, and over $25,000 in illegal narcotics and drug proceeds were recovered during an on-going drug investigation on Tuesday evening.

            Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that officers from his department’s tactical response team, as well as officers from the DEA and Newark Police Department, were conducting a narcotics operation at an apartment complex in the area of Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd and Spruce Street in the city’s Central Ward on Tuesday as part of an on-going investigation into the distribution of drugs in the area.

           “Our officers had observed several interactions between individuals at this apartment complex that was consistent with hand-to-hand narcotics transactions,” Sheriff Fontoura said.  “After observing these transactions repeatedly, responded to the behavior at 725 Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd by executing a search warrant on Tuesday evening.”

            Members of the tactical response team arrived at the apartment complex where they gained entry with keys. Upon entering their building, the team made their way to the second floor of the apartment building and approached apartment 203, where the narcotics transactions were seen taking place. Upon arriving at the door, the officers began to knock and announce their presence.

            “After a few times of knocking with no response, members of the team utilized keys to open the door. Upon entry, they located two suspects, Cory Bryant, 44, of Trenton, and Charles Salinas, 42, of Newark, in the front of the living room,” said Fontoura. “At this point, our officers secured both Bryant and Salinas, and informed the two of them of the search warrant.”

            A search of the apartment yielded positive results for narcotics, including 411 grams of CDS Marijuana and 702 pills of Oxycodone in blue pill bottles labeled “equate”. The officers also recovered $1159 in illegal narcotics proceeds.

            “In addition to the narcotics found inside the apartment, our officers were also able to recover a .9mm Jennings model 59 Semi-automatic handgun, an extended ammunition magazine, and 46 rounds of hollow-point bullets.” the Sheriff said.

            Both Bryant and Salinas were arrested and charged with unlawful possession of a handgun, illegal possession of an extended magazine, illegal possession of hollow-point ammunition, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance. Salinas was arrested and charged with

            Bryant and Salinas were transported to the Essex County Correctional Facility, where they will await a hearing on their charges.