Nine charged in cocaine-supply ring, yet all of them were FREE TO GO under NJ Bail Reform

“Nine members of a Paterson-based major cocaine supply network were indicted following a joint investigation that involved the Passaic County Sheriff’s Office and State Police, authorities said Tuesday. Investigators seized nearly 18 pounds of cocaine, a small quantity of heroin, 82 pills containing fentanyl, three handguns and more than $76,000 in drug proceeds during what was called ‘Operation Stillwater,’ … Jose Encarnacion, 35, was the primary supplier, buying the cocaine in New York City and then providing it to his associates; Jose Encarnacion, Adrian Mena-Acevedo, 25, ‘obtained large quantities of cocaine from Encarnacion [that] he distributed to other suppliers in the network’ … Peguero-Nin, a purported member of the Trinitarios, or 3NI, street gang, supplied cocaine to another alleged Trinitario, Jeffrey Jaquez, 27, of Passaic, who, in turn, employed street-level dealers. … Also named in the indictment were Mena-Acevedo’s live-in girlfriend, Emily Aracena-Freijomil, 24, and Juan Duran, 23, both of Paterson. They cut, packaged and sold the drug under his direction, the indictment charges. The indictment also charges two defendants with working for Peguero-Nin: Chamil Polanco, 24 also of Paterson, and a second man known by the nickname ‘Gingo’ who remains unidentified. The trio cut and packaged the cocaine for sale at an apartment they shared on Pearl Street, Grewal said. Investigators executing a search warrant there last December seized three handguns, an illegal large-capacity magazine, hollow-point bullets, other ammunition, a small quantity of cocaine, 82 pills containing fentanyl and heroin in various stages of packaging, the attorney general said. The final defendant, 37-year-old Juan Ruiz-Montano of the Bronx, worked with Encarnacion to distribute the cocaine, Grewal said. … All are charged with a variety of offenses involving drugs, weapons and money laundering. … Superior Court Judge Mary C. Jacobson in Trenton assigned the case to Passaic County, where the defendants will be ordered to appear in court at a later date for arraignment, Grewal said. They remained free until then.”

(Jerry DeMarco, “Nine Charged In Paterson-Based Cocaine-Supply Ring: Kilos, Guns, Cash Found,” South Passaic Daily Voice, 3/13/2018)

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