Web only: South Brunswick man charged in county-wide gang operation

By Sean Ruppert, Staff Writer
   A South Brunswick man was one of 64 people arrested in conjunction with a six-month investigation into gang activity in Middlesex County that was announced Wednesday.
   Jerome Bell, 19, was arrested on July 24 and charged with unlawful possession of a sawed-off shotgun. He is being held at the Middlesex County Adult Correction Center on $250,000 bail.
   Mr. Bell’s arrest was part of a six-month operation that ended Wednesday with the arrest of 18 people around the county. The investigation was carried out by the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, with assistance from the federal Drug Enforcement Agency, New Jersey State Police and more than 10 local police forces, including the South Brunswick Police Department. The investigation targeted several local gangs, including the Crips, of which Mr. Bell is an alleged member.
   Among the items seized during the investigation were more than 10 ounces of cocaine, 11 ounces of marijuana, eight handguns, two shotguns, one assault rifle and $43,180 in cash.