Heroin ring busted in New Jersey
S.W.A.T. teams arrested the alleged leader and other participants of an immense heroin ring on November 13. “Operation Dismay” targeted the multimillion dollar drug ring that ran across New Jersey, New York City, Pennsylvania, and Washington, D.C.
“The evidence seized indicates this was a high-volume operation,” Attorney General Jeffrey Chiesa announced. It involved a large number of stash houses, heroin mills and drug distributors. In fact, according to police, the one-week supply of heroin that was confiscated on the 13th was worth $1 million. The heroin ring allegedly operated on the same networks from Colombia to the Northeast as those used for cocaine.
Whether you are involved in this particular heroin ring or you have been accused of another heroin crime, your rights are on the line. State and federal heroin penalties are strict and drug prosecutors are not lenient.
For example, for mere possession of .05 oz or less in New Jersey, someone could face $75,000 in fines and up to five years in prison. Possession of five or more ounces of heroin is a felony that can land someone in prison for 10-20 years with a $500,000 fine. These are mere possession offenses. Imagine what the penalties become when someone is convicted of participating in a heroin ring involving the manufacture, trafficking and sale of heroin.
Prosecutors and investigators do not take heroin lightly. In fact, both the state and federal government are cracking down on what they consider a “heroin crisis.” This crackdown is caused in part because of the number of young people who are using heroin and the increase in heroin deaths. In the past 10 years, for example, the number of young New Jersey residents who were treated for addiction to heroin rose 40 percent.
The individuals arrested in the heroin ring will need strong defense focused on finding errors in chain of possession, search and seizure and other police actions. Depending on the facts of your case, there may be defenses available against your heroin charges as well.
Learn more about defending against drug crimes by visiting our pages on New Jersey drug charges.
Source: N.J.com, “Authorities bust multi-state, multimillion dollar heroin ring in Paterson,” James Queally, Nov. 20, 2012
