19 Paterson drug dealers arrested during heroin investigation
By P.T.
Published: May 3, 2013
Twenty-five people, 19 of them Patersonians, were arrested by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, after a four months investigation into heroin distribution networks in North Jersey.
Authorities in Bergen County after realizing a large number of victims died from heroin overdose commenced an investigation that signaled to them that much of the heroin was coming into the county from Passaic County. “A large number of Bergen County residents were arrested in Paterson while purchasing Heroin,” according to the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. Paterson Police Department, lead by Acting Police Chief William Fraher, joined in the effort with authorities from Bergen County to further investigate the massive drug problem impacting not just the Silk City but surrounding towns and communities.
During a three month operation authorities watched the streets of Paterson, observing drug transactions, and then sending in undercover agents to purchase heroin from street level dealers, who after the transactions were arrested. 89 individuals were arrested in that three month period buying heroin. Police later traced the suppliers, and found two individuals, Felix Melendez, 27, of 23rd Street, Paterson; and Christian Chiuyare, 33, of Richmond Avenue, Paterson, who were unloading large quantities of heroin into the city streets.
Last month with the help of federal and state authorities, local police agencies monitored the home of both men; during the monitoring police witnessed Mr Melendez and his accomplice doing a large drug transaction with Kyle Pittman, 28, and Aaron Smith, 25, drug dealers from Trenton, after the transaction police stopped the vehicle of the Trenton drug dealers, and uncovered more than 50,000 bags of heroin. Authorities then stopped the vehicle of Mr Chiuyare and Mr Melendez inside of which was more than $110,000 of cash.
Others arrested in the investigation were: Wesley Mceachern, 38, of Harris Place; Eric Brady, 21, of Grimes Place; Ivan Mason, 42, of 10th Avenue; Carlos Velez, 42, of Van Houten Street; Deuris Franco, 23, of 12th Avenue; Jamar Smith, 26, of North Straight Street; Manuel Vargas, 25, of Marshall Street; Quashon Brown, 32, of Main Street; Nijeer Parks, 25, of East 24th Street; Ravon Bynum, 25, of Colonial Avenue; David Tigney, 52, of East 25th Street; Pjamir Robinson, 24, of Temple Street; Anthony Johnson, 25, of 12th Avenue; Steven Williams, 29, of Pearl Street; Zamir Gee, 19, of 12th Avenue; Alejandro Serrano, 44, of Illinois Avenue; and the rest of those arrested were from Trenton and Ewing.
All face various drug charges.