Operation “Heading Back” has scored what law enforcement authorities are calling the largest drug operation takedown in the 30-year history of the Ocean County Special Operations Group.
During a March 9 press conference in Toms River, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato announced the culmination of a multi-jurisdictional narcotics investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Operations Group, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration Ocean-Monmouth High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Task Force and 30 state, county and local law enforcement agencies.
Operation “Heading Back” began in April 2017 and focused on high-level heroin, cocaine, marijuana and prescription pill distributors found to be operating in seven New Jersey counties and in the Bronx, N.Y., Coronato said.
The name “Heading Back” derived from the investigation’s goal of tracking the network back to the source of its supplier. Coronato said Ocean County has been designated as “ground zero” for the opioid epidemic in New Jersey.
“This is a drug operation that began in Lakewood, eventually led to Jackson, and eventually went up to Monmouth County. It continued to lead further north into Middlesex, Union, Hudson, Essex and Passaic counties, and quite honestly it moved over to the Bronx and eventually offshore,” Coronato said.
“Our acceptance into the HITDA Northern Group last year has increased tenfold our scope and ability to conduct investigations limiting the import of illegal narcotics into Ocean County and beyond. … We are sending a clear message to drug dealers that Ocean County is not fertile ground for their enterprise,” the prosecutor said.
“I extend the highest praise to my Special Operations Group, as well as every member of the operation. The courage and resourcefulness they displayed in working to identify and arrest those charged is truly an outstanding testament to their dedication and commitment to protect our citizens,” Coronato said.
Authorities said the operation was successful in disrupting and/or dismantling illicit controlled dangerous substance (CDS) distribution activities in New Jersey and the Bronx. The investigation led to 28 arrests for various offenses involving the distribution of CDS, three fugitive warrants being issued and nine CDS production facilities being dismantled.
During the operation, 33 search warrants were executed which resulted in the seizure of 90,000 dosage units of heroin, more than 19 pounds of cocaine, $848,481 in currency, 20 firearms, 27 vehicles and additional illegal narcotics.
Coronato said there was not a “kingpin” or one individual running the operation, but said the individuals charged with crimes were business dealers.
“They would go in and negotiate with different drug dealers to get a better price and the quantity,” the prosecutor said. “They would go to one drug dealer for their cocaine, if they did not get a good enough price, they would go to another drug dealer to get a better price. Depending on the amount they wanted, they would go from one drug dealer to another, so to designate one person as the kingpin would be inaccurate.”
Valerie A. Nickerson, special agent in charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, said, “This investigation is another example of how collaboration between law enforcement on all levels can make an impact in New Jersey. The DEA Monmouth-Ocean HIDTA Task Force was formed for this exact reason, to bring additional resources to aid in the fight against drug trafficking in Ocean County. Our goal is to pursue those bringing these dangerous drugs into the region and to reduce the distribution and use of drugs within the county.”
One dismantled alleged CDS production facility was at 59 East Connecticut Concourse, Jackson, which authorities identified as the residence of a 42-year-old man who was charged with conspiracy possession of heroin with intent to distribute (more than 5 ounces), possession with intent to distribute heroin and distribution of heroin.
Coronato could not specifically comment on the alleged facility in Jackson, but said the locations were the production facilities for the drug operation.
“When we hit the different facilities, they had the wrappers, they had the bands, they had the scales, those were the facilities that were packaging the heroin, packaging the cocaine, and we took out nine of them, so the bottom line is those were nine facilities that were affecting people in (Ocean County) and surrounding counties and that is why I am proud we took them out,” Coronato said.
Authorities said a search warrant was executed at a storage facility at 2464 Route 9, Howell, belonging to a 32-year-old Lakewood male. The suspect was charged with possession of cocaine, possession of Alprazolam, possession of Oxycodone, possession with intent to distribute Oxycodone, conspiracy to possess heroin with intent to distribute (more than 5 ounces), three counts of possession of a firearm while committing a CDS offense, two counts of receiving stolen property, possession with intent to distribute heroin (more than a half-ounce, but less than 5 ounces), three counts of possession of a firearm, and one count of certain persons not to posses a firearm.
The Lakewood resident had four vehicles seized: two 2015 Infiniti Q50s, one 2007 Infiniti and one 2016 BMW 535. Authorities said the total retail value of all the cars seized in the operation was $713,620.
Narcotics seized included 8,775 grams of cocaine with a street value of between $38,000 and $45,000; 100 Ecstasy pills; 1,800 grams of heroin with a street value of between $50,000 and $70,000; approximately 6 pounds of marijuana; 100 various pills; THC edibles; Promethazine; and Suboxone.
In commenting on the operation, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said, “We recognize that drug investigations and drug conspiracies are not going to stop on the borders of Ocean County or Monmouth County, they go statewide and sometimes they go regionally. This is what the public expects of us; for us to work in unison toward one common goal, which is the eradication of drugs in our streets.”