Seven Ocean County residents tied to drug deals in Berkeley Township
Berkeley Police continue their crackdown on drug activity along notorious drug areas in the Bayville section of the township.
Two investigations including a pre-dawn raid Tuesday placed four Bayville residents and one each from Brick, Lakewood and Lacey in handcuffs on various related drug offenses.
A Bayville pair are linked to the intended sales of opioids along Serpentine Drive.
Five other Ocean County residents were arrested and tied to the intended sales of heroin that may contain the deadly ingredient of fentanyl.
Over 500 individual doses of heroin were seized at a Frederick Drive home on Tuesday morning.
On August 23, Berkeley Township Detectives and the Toms River Detective and SET team conducted a joint narcotics distribution investigation.
This investigation involved the sales of opioids and prescription pills in both Townships.
The sales were directly connected to numerous overdoses throughout the area.
Three court-authorized search warrants were then executed.
The first on Route 9 in Bayville near the intersection of Serpentine Drive.
Due to safety concerns, Police conducted a high-risk motor vehicle stop on a green Kia involving multiple uniformed and plainclothes officers and detectives.
The occupants were ordered out of the vehicle and as a result, the two occupants of the vehicle were taken into custody safely and without incident.
The vehicle was searched and then impounded at police headquarters.
Detectives then executed a warrant on a Serpentine Drive residence and found multiple wax folds, a quantity of prescription pills as well as drug paraphernalia in the apartment.
Police say due to the likelihood of fentanyl on these wax folds, and the danger that existed to officers from unintentional exposure, the suspected heroin was sealed and sent for testing.
Joseph Munger, 37, of Serpentine Drive in Bayville and Courtney Hrynyk, 34, of Serpentine Drive in Bayville were both arrested and charged with possession with the intent to distribute (prescription pills) and possession of heroin.
Both were released on a summons in accordance with the NJ Bail Reform Act.
Following additional leads from this investigation, Detectives from both jurisdictions continued to pursue the next level of distribution for these dangerous narcotics sales.
An additional Search warrant was obtained and executed at the Sharadee Apartments on Frederick Drive in Bayville.
On Tuesday of this week, a SWAT team raided the apartment and found over 500 individual doses of heroin packaged for resale.
Paraphernalia used in the distribution scheme was discovered.
These bags of heroin were also sealed as evidence pending testing as police say they likely contain fentanyl.
Lorraine Walters, 58, of Frederick Drive in Bayville, Shadava Robertson, 33, of Frederick Drive in Bayville and Kyle Pianetti, 26, of Lacey were all then arrested.
Walters and Robertson were charged with possession with the intent to distribute Heroin, Possession with the intent to distribute within 500 ft of a public housing complex and possession of heroin and were each lodged in the Ocean County Jail in accordance with the NJ Bail Reform Act.
Pianetti was charged with possession of Heroin and was also lodged in the Ocean County Jail in accordance with the NJ Bail Reform Act.
Joseph Collins, 41, of Lakewood and Frederick Meyers, 51, of Brick were then arrested and were charged with conspiracy to possess Heroin and Possession with the intent to distribute.
Collins was additionally charged with possession of under 50-grams of marijuana.
He was remanded to the Ocean County Jail in accordance with the New Jersey Bail Reform Act.
Meyers was released on a summons.
Police say more arrests are possible as the evidence is examined.
"This successful investigation is another example of neighboring towns working in tandem to battle the drug epidemic facing the county," Berkeley Township Police Chief Karin DiMichele said in a statement. "The subjects arrested on Frederick Drive are considered primary suppliers for the immediate area, Frederick Drive and the adjacent Route 9 corridor, which are considered a hub of heroin distribution and is in close proximity to several of the involved jurisdictions."
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