Top member of Paterson drug ring pleads guilty to running heroin mill | Paterson Times Paterson Times

Top member of Paterson drug ring pleads guilty to running heroin mill

By Jonathan Greene
Published: February 8, 2017

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The leader of a heroin ring and four associates pleaded guilty to operating a heroin mill on Wednesday, according to the New Jersey Attorney General’s Office.

Authorities said the highest ranking member of the group, Marino Pimentel-Tejada, 35, of Paterson, pleaded guilty to first-degree maintaining a heroin production facility. Under the plea deal, he faces 10 years in state prison with 3 years parole ineligibility, authorities said.

City residents Yinsys Pimentel-Tejada, 28; Manuel Garcia-Tejada, 31; and Nuris Dominguez-Lara, 34, all pleaded guilty to second-degree conspiracy to maintain a heroin production facility, authorities said. Authorities said the state will recommend each receive a 7-year prison sentence.

Robert Grady, 40, of Paterson, pleaded guilty to third-degree possession of methamphetamine. He faces five years in state prison authorities said.

“By putting these large-scale suppliers in prison and dismantling their heroin mill, the State Police cut off a major source of heroin in the region and undoubtedly saved lives,” acting attorney general Christopher Porrino said. “My office will continue to aggressively prosecute anyone who profits through selling this agent of addiction and death into our communities.”

Detectives arrested Marino Pimentel-Tejada with Grady on June 1, 2016. Both were in a car with 135 bricks or 1,750 single-dose glassine envelopes on East 28th Street. State found several meth pills on Grady.

Police searched Marino Pimentel-Tejada’s home at 1100 block of East 24th Street and his car. Detectives discovered a heroin mill at his home by finding a table overflowing with glassine bags containing heroin and numerous boxes of empty glassines. 79 grams of raw heroin, 3,791 glassines of heroin, grinders, sifters, a digital scale, empty glassines, and other packaging materials were seized from the house.

“All too often, these mills are not only responsible for manufacturing the poison that is heroin, but they are responsible for the violence that goes hand-in hand with drug trafficking,” Rick Fuentes, superintendent of the New Jersey State Police, said.

$20,000 in cash was found in his car. Police confiscated a handgun and a shotgun from a concealed hydraulic compartment in Marino Pimentel-Tejada’s car. State police seized 300 grams of heroin and $55,000 in cash in the course of their investigation, authorities said.

“Paterson is a regional hub for heroin distribution and these were major suppliers we took out of commission,” Elie Honig, director of the Division of Criminal Justice, said. “We’ll continue to work with the New Jersey State Police and other law enforcement partners to disrupt this deadly commerce.”

Sentencing for the Tejadas is scheduled before Passaic County Judge Marilyn C. Clark on April 13, 2017. Sentencing for Grady is scheduled for March 10, 2017.


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