Prosecutor: 17 Arrested in Major Monmouth County Drug Dealing & Possession Bust

An eight-month investigation into widespread illegal narcotics distribution throughout Monmouth County has resulted in 17 arrests and the seizure of drugs worth hundreds of thousands of dollars on the street, Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond S. Santiago announced on Monday.

The investigation revealed that drugs were being funneled into Monmouth County from Somerset and Passaic County by 48-year-old Yusef A. Kearney, of North Plainfield (Somerset), and 47-year-old Gerson G. Villeda Fajardo, of Paterson (Passaic). Kearney was arrested in Asbury Park on Monday, April 29, and found to be in possession of roughly 300 grams of cocaine.

The investigation culminated with the execution of search warrants at two locations in Paterson last month, which uncovered an active and fully functional fentanyl mill being run by 54-year-old Pedro Torres-Rivera and 54-year-old Manuel Dejesus-Polanco, both of Paterson. The two men were wearing surgical masks and actively packaging drugs at the time of their arrests.

The investigation also revealed that Kearney was allegedly supplying narcotics to 47-year-old Kaileem S. Davis, of Tinton Falls, and 37-year-old Tyking Pugh, of Ocean Township. Pugh was allegedly supplying narcotics to 44-year-old Sammie Boynton, of Middletown, and the drugs continued to filter across Monmouth County.

“The arrests and seizures being announced today mark the end result of a herculean investigative effort involving innumerable moving parts, all seamlessly coordinated with the help of more than two dozen other law enforcement agencies,” Prosecutor Santiago said. “A criminal enterprise that has been poisoning our neighborhoods for the better part of a decade has been thoroughly dismantled, and I cannot commend enough, all of the dedicated men and women whose inexhaustible tenacity and commitment to collaboration have made that possible.”

The following defendants are charged with the following offenses:

Kearney is charged with first-degree Distribution of Cocaine, first-degree Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute, first-degree Possession of Heroin with the Intent to Distribute, second-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, second-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin, second-degree Distribution of Heroin, second-degree Possession of Heroin with the Intent to Distribute, third-degree Possession of Cocaine, and third-degree Possession of Heroin;
Fajardo is charged with first-degree Distribution of Cocaine, first-degree Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute, second-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, second-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin, second-degree Distribution of Heroin, second-degree Possession of Heroin with the Intent to Distribute, third-degree Possession of Cocaine, and third-degree Possession of Heroin;
Torres-Rivera is charged with first-degree Distribution of Cocaine, first-degree Maintaining a Controlled Dangerous Substance (CDS) Production Facility, first-degree Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute, second-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, second-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin, second-degree Distribution of Heroin, second-degree Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute, second-degree Possession of Fentanyl with the Intent to Distribute, second-degree Possession of Heroin with the Intent to Distribute, third-degree Possession of Cocaine, third-degree Possession of Fentanyl, third-degree Possession of Heroin, and third-degree Possession of Drug Paraphernalia;
Dejesus-Polanco is charged with first-degree Maintaining a CDS Production Facility, second-degree Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute, second-degree Possession of Fentanyl with the Intent to Distribute, third-degree Possession of Cocaine, third-degree Possession of Fentanyl, and third-degree Possession of Drug Paraphernalia;
Davis is charged with first-degree Distribution of Cocaine, first-degree Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute, second-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, and third-degree Possession of Cocaine;
Pugh is charged with second-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin, second-degree Distribution of Heroin, second-degree Possession of Heroin with the Intent to Distribute, second-degree Possession of Marijuana with the Intent to Distribute, third-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Xanax, third-degree Distribution of Xanax, third-degree Possession of Heroin, third-degree Possession of Marijuana with the Intent to Distribute within 1,000 Feet of a School, third-degree Possession of Xanax, and third-degree Possession of Drug Paraphernalia;
Boynton is charged with second-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin, second-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Xanax, second-degree Distribution of Heroin, second-degree Distribution of Xanax, second-degree Possession of Heroin with the Intent to Distribute, third-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, third-degree Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine, third-degree Distribution of Cocaine, third-degree Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute, third-degree Possession of Heroin, third-degree Possession of Heroin with the Intent to Distribute, and third-degree Possession of Xanax.
Saeed Wilson, 47, of Long Branch, is charged with first-degree Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute, second-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, and third-degree Possession of Cocaine;
Algieron M. Pines, 29, of Middletown, is charged with third-degree Possession of Xanax with the Intent to Distribute, third-degree Possession of Cocaine, fourth-degree Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and fourth-degree Possession of Prescription Legend Drugs;
Darrah D. Bacy, 35, of Tinton Falls, is charged with third-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, third-degree Distribution of Cocaine, third-degree Possession of Cocaine, and third-degree Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute;
Marcus M. Carter, 38, of Eatontown, is charged with first-degree Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute, second-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, and third-degree Possession of Cocaine;
Jerome A. Geathers, 45, of Howell, is charged with third-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Prescription Legend Drugs; third-degree Distribution of Prescription Legend Drugs, and third-degree Possession of Prescription Legend Drugs;
Robert Diakow, 46, of Middletown, is charged with third-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Prescription Legend Drugs, third-degree Distribution of Prescription Legend Drugs, and third-degree Possession of Prescription Legend Drugs;
Deborah A. Bost, 50, of Hazlet, is charged with third-degree Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine and third-degree Possession of Cocaine;
Allison L. Waltsak, 51, of Tinton Falls, is charged with third-degree Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine and third-degree Possession of Cocaine; and
Geoffrey Melvin, 74, of Neptune Township, is charged with third-degree Conspiracy to Possess Oxycodone and third-degree Possession of Oxycodone;
Jason Remp, 40, of Keansburg, is charged with third-degree Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine and Possession of Cocaine

Search warrants were also executed last month at a pair of stash houses located in Long Branch and Neptune Township. In sum, the execution of the search warrants resulted in the seizure of approximately 450 grams of fentanyl — with a potentially lethal dose weighing in at just 2 milligrams, enough to end the lives of 225,000 people — approximately 325 grams of cocaine, a quantity of prescription Xanax pills, 6 pounds of marijuana, a kilogram press, a pill press, multiple ink pads and stamps, cutting agents, and approximately $27,350 in cash.

A total of 22 types of folds meant for packaging individual doses of opioids were also recovered, three of which have been linked to fatal overdoses in Monmouth County during recent months.

The following have been charged in the case, but not yet apprehended:

Jeffrey Wells, 33, of Tinton Falls, is charged with third-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin, third-degree Distribution of Heroin, third-degree Possession of Cocaine, and third-degree Possession of Heroin with the Intent to Distribute;
Suzzette Depolmo, 34, of Atlantic Highlands, is charged with third-degree Conspiracy to Possess Heroin, third-degree Conspiracy to Possess Xanax, third-degree Possession of Heroin, and third-degree Possession of Xanax;
Christopher Johnson, 43, of Keansburg, is charged with third-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Xanax, third-degree Conspiracy to Possess Heroin, third-degree Distribution of Xanax, third-degree Possession of Heroin, and third-degree Possession of Xanax;
Ronald Remp, 44, of Keansburg, is charged with third-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Xanax, third-degree Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine/Heroin, third-degree Distribution of Xanax, third-degree Possession of Cocaine, third-degree Possession of Heroin, and third-degree Possession of Xanax;
Kurtis D. Barnes, 45, of Atlantic City, is charged with third-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Xanax, third-degree Distribution of Xanax, and third-degree Possession of Xanax;
Rasheen Yarbrough, 45, of Tinton Falls, is charged with third-degree Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine, third-degree Conspiracy to Possess Cocaine, third-degree Distribution of Cocaine, third-degree Possession of Cocaine, and third-degree Possession of Cocaine with the Intent to Distribute;

The Prosecutor’s Office extends its sincere thanks to the numerous agencies that assisted in this investigation, to include the New Jersey State Police, Monmouth County Sheriff’s Office, Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, and Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, as well as the municipal police departments of Asbury Park, Atlantic Highlands, Belmar, Eatontown, Holmdel, Howell, Keansburg, Keyport, Long Branch, Matawan, Middletown, Monmouth Beach, Neptune City, Neptune Township, Ocean Township, Red Bank, Spring Lake, Tinton Falls, Union Beach, Wall Township, and West Long Branch.

This case is being prosecuted by Assistant Prosecutor Emily Cartmell of the MCPO Narcotics and Criminal Enterprise Investigation Section.

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office