Press Release from GCPO
The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office’s Gangs, Guns and Narcotics Task Force, working in close partnership with multiple local, county, state and federal law enforcement partners, has charged 21 suspects with operating an extensivedrug trafficking network based in Paulsboro. This organization’s illegal activities created direct harm for the local community and had regional impact as well, said Gloucester County Prosecutor Charles A. Fiore.
The majority of the arrests, along with execution of multiple search warrants, occurred in Paulsboro on Monday, July 9thduring multi-agency operations. Commenting on the complex, long-term investigation which focused on individuals distributing and selling illegal drugs, Prosecutor Fiore noted, “Gloucester County and its residents have felt the devastating and staggering impact of the Opioid Crisis and the distribution and use of illegal drugs. Since January 1, 2018, there have been 49 fatal opioid overdoses in Gloucester County, compared to 69 for all of 2017.
“If not for our use of Narcan and other intervention strategies with key social service and health partners, there is no doubt that number would be much greater.One fatal overdose is too many. Every overdose, every story of addiction, ripples through the community.
“This week’s operation underscores my unwavering commitment to aggressively pursue and prosecute those engaged in distributing and selling illegal and many times fatal drugs, and to help and assist our Gloucester County communities in close partnership with our local police departments, the Attorney General’s Office, Division of Criminal Justice, New Jersey State Police, Drug Enforcement Administration and many additional agencies.
“The strong bonds and alliances forged through what we have called Operation Red Raider are the direct result of the commitment and professionalism of each and every individual who worked side by side to make this investigation a success. These connections and collaborations represent the strong foundation of similar collaborations and efforts yet to come in Gloucester County.”
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal, commenting on the operation, said, “while we are working on multiple fronts to combat the opioid epidemic gripping New Jersey- including expanding programs like Operation Helping Hand to connect those suffering from addiction with treatment- we also are re-doubling our efforts to arrest and prosecute those profiting off others’ addiction, like the alleged drug dealers arrested in this operation.”
“With so many dying from overdoses of heroin and the super-potent opioid fentanyl,which is recklessly mixed with or substituted for heroin,dealers are really profiting at the expense of lives lost, families destroyed and communities devastated.”
“I commend the collaborative work of the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office. State Police, DEA, Division of Criminal Justice, and our many other partners, and I pledge that we will continue to work tirelessly to stop those trafficking these poisons into our communities in South Jersey and throughout the state.”
Valerie A Nickerson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division said, “this lengthy investigation shows the importance of cooperation between law enforcement at all levels.Those individuals arrested were allegedly responsible for providing large quantities of narcotics throughout Gloucester County.Their arrests have made Gloucester County safer for its residents.”
Detectives seized suspected narcotics- more than 400 grams of cocaine, 200 grams of crystal methamphetamine, 120 grams of heroin, 356 Percocet pills, 50 grams of marijuana, two handguns, a sawed-off shotgun and $39,000 in cash.
The suspected heroin was capable of producing over 3,000 individual wax folds- the typical packaging for street sale to individual buyers.The heroin is being analyzed by the New Jersey State Police Laboratory for the presence of fentanyl, which now plays a large and complex role in the carnage of the opioid crisis.
The investigation commenced in Fall 2017 to target and disrupt a drug trafficking network operating in the area of Spruce and Adams Streets in Paulsboro.Detectives identified Duane Johns age 31 of Paulsboro as the leader of the drug trafficking network.Johns’ source for cocaine was identified as Darnell Samuels age 36 of Wilmington DE. Samuels was previously arrested for a 2016 shooting homicide in Paulsboro. That matter remains pending.
Through investigation, it was determined Samuels was being supplied kilogram amounts of cocaine transported from Texas to Delaware and ultimately to Paulsboro. Duane Johns has been charged with being a leader of a narcotics trafficking network, distribution of cocaine and related offenses. Samuels has been charged with first-degree possession and distribution of cocaine and methamphetamine in addition to other drug-related offences.
The following suspects have been identified and charged as members of the drug trafficking network targeted by Operation Red Raider:
Duane Johns age 31 of Paulsboro: Leader of a Narcotics Trafficking Network, Distribution of Cocaine, Possession of Cocaine, Possession of Marijuana, Conspiracy. Darnell Samuels age 35 of Wilmington, DE: Distribution of Cocaine, Possession of Cocaine, Distribution of Methamphetamine, Possession of Methamphetamine, Distribution of Prescription Legend Drugs, Possession of Prescription Legend Drugs and Conspiracy. Keenan B. Cheeks age 27 of Salem: Distribution of Heroin, Possession of Heroin, Conspiracy. Orlando Williams age 35 of Paulsboro: Distribution of Heroin, Possession of Heroin, Conspiracy. Trynell T. Foster, 26, of Paulsboro: Distribution of Heroin, Possession of Heroin, Conspiracy. Leonard Mears age 50 of Paulsboro: Possession of Prescription Legend Drugs, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Nicole Moore age 45 of Paulsboro: Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia. Wanda Martin age 43 of Paulsboro: Unlawful Possession of Prohibited Weapons and Devices – Sawed-Off Shotgun. Steven Johns age 28 of Paulsboro: Conspiracy. William Hodges age 37 of Woodbury: Conspiracy. Robert Madden age 25, Paulsboro: Distribution of Heroin, Possession of Heroin and Conspiracy. Thomas Gray age 31 of Paulsboro: Conspiracy. Brandon Carr age 34, of Paulsboro: Unlawful Possession of Weapon – Handgun, Certain Persons not to have Weapon, Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
Damien Mears age 45, Paulsboro: Distribution of Heroin, Possession of Heroin, Possession of Marijuana, Conspiracy. James Johns age 26 of Paulsboro: Conspiracy. Shamar Gaines age 30 of Glassboro: Distribution of Cocaine, Possession of Cocaine, Conspiracy. Samar Khalid age 24 of Penns Grove: Distribution of Heroin, Possession of Heroin and Conspiracy. Douglas Eli age 43 of Deptford: Conspiracy. Anthony Kille age 19 of Penns Grove: Distribution of Heroin, Possession of Heroin, Conspiracy. Shovanha Myers age 30 of Paulsboro: Conspiracy. Virginia Campbell age 56 of Paulsboro: Conspiracy. Steven and James Johns are brothers and Myers is their sister. They are cousins to Duane Johns.
Operation Red Raider was a highly productive law enforcement partnership spanning multiple municipalities, counties and states. It included the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office’s Gangs, Guns and Narcotics Task Force, Office of the New Jersey Attorney General, New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice, New Jersey State Police Trafficking South Unit and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration’s Camden Resident Office.
Additional agencies directly supporting this operation included the United States Marshal’s Service Criminal Gang Unit, Paulsboro Police Department, Westville Police Department, Pitman Police Department, New Jersey State Police Real Time Crime Center South, West Deptford Police Department, Deptford Police Department, Greenwich Police Department, East Greenwich Police Department, Monroe Township Police Department, Mantua Police Department, Washington Township Police Department, Glassboro Police Department, Clayton Police Department, New Jersey State Police Fugitive Unit, New Jersey State Parole, Cumberland County Prosecutor’s Office, Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, Gloucester County Sherriff’s Department, Gloucester County Department of Corrections, the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives ( ATF),the Gloucester County Special Weapons and Tactics unit(SWAT), State Police Teams Unit, Camden County SWAT and DEA SRT.
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