March 20, 2008

18 Arrests Made In National Drug Ring Bust

Over 14 ounces of cocaine, over 60 grams of marijuana, more then $25,000 in cash, 4 guns and 18 arrests were made in a coordinated pre-dawn raid that shut down a major drug distribution ring that shipped West Coast narcotics to sellers in New Jersey and Delaware. Additionally, three vehicles valued at $50,000 were seized. Police believe the money allegedly used to purchase these vehicles was derived from proceeds of criminal activity and used in the organization’s criminal enterprise.

The multi-state task force executed the search warrants simultaneously at about 5:00 am. Officials indicated that 13 arrests were made in Salem County, three additional arrests, including the suspected ringleader of the operation, were made in Delaware while two additional suspects were apprehended in California. The operation was the culmination of a six-month investigation of local and federal agents that involved drug crime agencies in New Jersey, California, and Delaware.

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February 14, 2008

Gym Teacher, 4 Accomplices Arrested On Drug Charges

In an alarming example of the proximity of the ever growing drug culture and our school system, a gym teacher from Lacey Township Middle School has been arrested along with four other men on cocaine and illegal steroid charges, according to a Star Ledger report published Thursday, February 7th.

Kevin Tracy, 33 of Manahawkin was charged with a laundry list of New Jersey drug crimes, including: possession of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute cocaine, distribution of less than a half-ounce of cocaine, possession of steroids and possession of drug paraphernalia. A six year employee of the Lacey Township school system , Tracy was suspended from his $43,000 a year job according to state public employee records. Authorities did not immediately identify the type of steroid but said Tracy is not charged with distributing that substance or cocaine to students.

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November 26, 2007

Driver Makes Bomb Threat To Elude Arrest Warrant On Drug Charges

This story is a great example of how you can dig a hole 10 times deeper than the one you’re already in. Instead of hiring a competent New Jersey defense attorney to get him out of trouble and get the help he needs, Kyle Lewthwaite decided to do something he thought was very smart. He phoned in a bogus bomb threat to a neighborhood school to get out of a warrant for his arrest for failing to appear in court on a drug possession charge.

According to an article in the Daily Record , the 23-year-old Lewthwaite was charged with possession of heroin, possession with intent to distribute and other charges. This week, police stopped him for a seatbelt violation. Lewthwaite, who knew he was in trouble, picked up his cell phone when the officer was not looking, called 911 and called in the phony threat to distract officers.

His plan initially worked, but officers soon put two and two together and caught up with Lewthwaite. Now, he not only faces the original drug charges, but in addition has been charged with creating a false public alarm, a false 911 call and making terrorist threats. He is being held in jail on a $25,000 bail. Students at the middle school where Lewthwaite called in the threat were evacuated for about 10 minutes, the newspaper reported.

The Daily Record also reported that Lewthwaite was an exceptional student who had a love for science and electronics and even won a Coca Cola scholarship after graduating from high school. Clearly, this was a man who needed help. At Lependorf & Silverstein, we strongly believe that it is not only a New Jersey defense attorney’s job to get clients acquitted, but also to get the help they need.

What Lewthwaite needed was not time behind bars. He needed counseling and rehabilitation to kick his drug habit and get back into society as a productive citizen. Obviously, he did not get that help he so badly and desperately needed. Instead, in his attempt to get out of trouble, he ended up multiplying his troubles.

If you or a loved one has been charged of drug crimes or any other crime in the state of New Jersey, call Lependorf & Silverstein right away to discuss your case. It will cost you nothing to make that call. Instead, you have everything to gain. We will do what it takes to achieve the best possible result in your case and get you the help that you need.

October 11, 2007

New Jersey Man Charged With Drug Crimes And Vehicle Code Violations

Police stopped a Willingboro man early morning Sept. 19 on Route 1 because officers say he was speeding at 75 mph. But according to a crime blog in The Times of Trenton police officers smelled something else in his vehicle – burning marijuana.

David Williams, 24 was arrested on suspicion of possessing marijuana and drug paraphernalia and faces speeding and other motor vehicle code violations, the article states. Williams, who was actually stopped for allegedly speeding on the southbound lanes, had about 50 grams of pot in his Nissan Maxima, the report said. Police inspected the vehicle after they smelled the marijuana in the car.

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October 6, 2007

New Jersey Teenager Wanted on Suspicion of Drug Possession and Eluding Police

A Bayonne teenager is wanted by police on suspicion of eluding police who attempted to apprehend him on drug charges earlier this week. According to a news article in the Jersey Journal, 19-year-old Wadi Williams was found by police at the Hudson-Bergen Light Rail Station without a valid ticket.

The article states that when he tried to pull out an identification card, a small plastic bag of marijuana came out stuck to the card. Officials told the newspaper that they then saw him produce another bag from his other pants pocket that contained 20 smaller bags also filled with marijuana.

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June 12, 2007

Mexico Asks U.S. For Help In War On Drugs

Mexico is seeking the United States' aid in what appears to be a losing battle in the war on drugs. Ambassador Arturo Sarukhan has called for the U.S. to provide intelligence information, training and resources to help battle drug trafficking between the two nations, which are connected by a nearly 2,000 mile border.

Mexico has faced a recent surge in drug trafficking, which has led to nationwide violence and chaos. Interior Secretary Francisco Ramirez, the nation’s top domestic security official, acknowledged that the Mexico had completely lost control of its drug situation prior to the recent drug offensive launched by new President Felipe Calderon. Since taking office in December 2006, Calderon has sent federal police and over 24,000 troops to fight ruthless drug gangs whose power is partly fueled by American demand for drugs.

Blamed for over 1,000 gruesome deaths this year alone, Mexican drug gangs are assisted by American money launderers, weapons traffickers and chemical manufacturers who promote drug manufacture, trafficking and consumption on both sides of the border. Mexico’s current strategy involves establishing firm drug-free territory and leveraging it against drug gangs. But the country’s efforts probably will fail without United States cooperation and efforts to reduce drug demand and the flow of weapons and supplies south of the border.

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April 28, 2007

Suppression of Evidence Upheld by Appellate Court

On April 27, 2007 a New Jersey Appellate Division Panel upheld a lower court’s decision to suppress evidence obtained by police by ruling that the police did not have probable cause to search the trunk of the defendant’s car. In the case entitled State of New Jersey vs. Raheim Holloway, App. Div. A-5171-05T1, the court affirmed a decision reached in the Cumberland Superior Court that the police illegally obtained a silver handgun and a bag of cocaine when they searched the trunk of the defendant’s car.

The police were dispatched to a home in Vineland, New Jersey to investigate a report of domestic abuse. Upon reaching the residence the police were able to secure the defendant by placing him in handcuffs and placing him under arrest. The police then requested the defendant’s keys and searched the trunk of his car. They found the handgun and cocaine in the trunk of the car.

Both courts agreed that the evidence obtained from the trunk of the car was obtained in an unconstitutional manner. A warrantless search such as this one requires “exigent circumstances.” Once the defendant has been arrested and is in handcuffs, he is “out of the picture.” There is no way the defendant could “use that weapon or get that weapon to cause anyone any damage at that point in time.” The police should have obtained the appropriate warrant to search the car. But they did not. If you have been charged with a crime, it is important that you obtain the appropriate legal representation. Call a criminal attorney at Lependorf & Silverstein, P.C. A lawyer at the firm of Lependorf & Silverstein, P.C. will review the facts of your case with you to determine the best course of legal action for your circumstances. Feel free to contact us today for a free telephone consultation.

April 24, 2007

Search and Seizure – Drug Prosecution

A New Jersey appellate court reversed a lower court’s denial of a defendant’s suppression motion on April 16, 2007 in the case entitled State v. Small (A-1283-05T4). The case arose out of a motor vehicle stop that took place on October 16, 2002 in Wall Township. The defendant was stopped for failing to keep right. During the stop the police officer asked the defendant to exit his car and frisked him. During the frisk the officer found a small plastic BB in the defendant’s pocket. Finding the BB provided the officer with reason to request permission from the defendant to search the vehicle for a weapon. The defendant consented to the officer’s search of the vehicle. The Court agreed that the BB was “significant enough to establish a reasonable and articulable suspicion to request defendant’s consent to search the vehicle for a weapon.”

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