Two men were arrested with what police estimated to be about $15,000 worth of drugs Monday in the Marketplace at Manville shopping center.
The two are Travis Decker, 27, of Thomas Aveune, Tuckerton, and Hernan Rosario, 27, of Jasper Street, Paterson.
According to Prosecutor Geoffrey Soriano, the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Organized Crime and Narcotics Task Force received information Monday that a Hispanic male, along with a white male passenger, would be arriving at the Manville stores driving a black four-door Jeep Wrangler, and they would have cocaine and prescription pills.
Task force detectives set up surveillance near the shopping center. At about 3 p.m., a Jeep Wrangler fitting the description arrived and parked. Detectives approached the vehicle and detained the driver, Mr. Rosario, and passenger Mr. Decker without incident.
Somerset County Sheriff’s K-9 dog “Apex” sniffed around the outside of the vehicle and gave a positive indication for the presence of CDS inside the vehicle. Subsequently, detectives obtained a Superior Court search warrant for the vehicle and both men.
Mr. Decker was found to be in possession of four ounces of cocaine, 50 Oxycodone pills and 57 Oxycontin pills in his pant pockets. Also found in Decker’s wallet were two Suboxone strips and $267 in cash.
Mr. Rosario was found to have three grams of cocaine and $1,707 in the inside left pocket of his jacket.
Police said a search of the Jeep resulted in the seizure of one gram of cocaine, 13 Oxycodone and drug paraphernalia (small zip-lock bags). The estimated street value of the cocaine seized is $11,720, Oycodone Pills $1,575, Oxycontin Pills $1,425 and Suboxone strips $50.
Mr. Decker and Mr. Rosario were each charged with possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, a 2nd degree crime; possession of CDS (Oxycodone) with the intent to distribute (3rd degree), possession of CDS (Oxycontin) with the intent to distribute (3rd degree), possession of CDS (Suboxone) (3rd degree) and possession of drug paraphernalia, a disorderly persons offense.
Both defendants were lodged in the Somerset County Jail. Superior Court Judge Kevin Shanahan set bail for Mr. Decker at $150,000 (cash only). For Mr. Rosario the bail was set at $75,000 (cash only).
