Massive 7-county drug ring destroyed, 28 arrested, 90K doses of heroin seized
Updated Mar 9; Posted Mar 9
Largest drug operation takedown in 30 year history of Ocean County's Special Operations Group


By Alex Napoliello anapoliello@njadvancemedia.com,
NJ Advance Media for NJ.com

Authorities in Ocean County announced Friday they dismantled a "sophisticated" drug ring that had tentacles in seven different New Jersey counties and New York and led to 28 arrests, the seizure of more than 90,000 doses of heroin and 191 pounds of cocaine, and $850,000 in cash.

The widespread operation, dubbed "Operation Heading Back," began in April and involved 30 state, county and local law enforcement agencies. It was announced at a press conference at the Ocean County administration building in Toms River.

Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph Coronato, who called this the biggest drug bust in the county in 30 years, said the investigation spawned from a drug transaction in Lakewood and continued to move north.

Photos from today's hearing

One of the busts, he said, led to the seizure of 8 kilos of cocaine and a loaded AK-47. Prosecutors have been working feverishly to keep the suspect arrested in that raid, Rasheed Sanders of East Orange, behind bars after a judge initially ruled at his pre-trial detention hearing that he could be released with high-level monitoring. A new detention hearing for Sanders is scheduled for Monday at 9 a.m. after prosecutors filed additional charges against him.


The bust also led to the seizure of 20 firearms, including 18 handguns, and the dismantling of nine drug-producing facilities in Bloomfield, Jackson, Parlin, Paterson, Piscataway (4) and Plainfield. It also included the seizure of 27 vehicles, including a 2014 Jaguar XKR valued at $80,000.

Coronato said the ring was a "sophistic drug network," where the dealers were "true business dealers" who were able to broker deals to maximize profits.

"They would go in and negotiate with different drug dealers to get the better price and to get the quantity and when they could get the quantity," Coronato explained. "So one time they would go to one drug dealer for their cocaine, if they didn't get a good enough price, they would go to the other drug dealer to get a better price on the cocaine."

The bust couldn't have happened, Coronato said, without the help of its federal partners through the Drug Enforcement Administration's Ocean/Monmouth High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area.

First Assistant Attorney General Jennifer Davenport said "effects like this criminal organization are not just felt in Ocean County" but "through the state and beyond."

"By partnering together, as you see here today, we can increase our impact and make our streets safer and make our state safer," Davenport said.


Data obtained by NJ Advance Media shows the death toll from opioids in 2016 exceeds the population of more than 70 N.J. towns.


Coronato said "Ocean County, unfortunately, has been designated as Ground Zero for the opioid epidemic in New Jersey.

"When I first became prosecutor," he continued, "it became really known to me that this is something we need to attack and that we certainly need to address."

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Ocean County, which was one of the first counties in the state to begin equipping its first responders with Narcan as part of a pilot program administered under Gov. Chris Christie, has reduced its drug overdose deaths by 25 percent from 2016 to 2017, Coronato said.

When asked why Ocean County is considered "Ground Zero" for the opioid epidemic, he said authorities continue to do studies to determine why.

"We're trying to track back why Ocean County is the epicenter," he explained. "It is a bedroom community. With opiates, it all starts with pills. And the fact is, as a result of healthcare and access to pills, for whatever reason the residents of Ocean County have access to it.

"Bottom line is, when you can't get the pills anymore, it ends up going to heroin and other drugs. But I'm not so sure we can clearly determine why Ocean County."

Coronato's term as prosecutor is up on March 22. He was nominated by Christie, a Republican, and it remains to be seen whether he will be reappointed with a new Democratic governor in office.

Among those arrested and charged with distributing drugs and weapons offenses were Jihad Anderson, 38, of Brick; Laquan Anderson,33, of Parlin; Lorenzo Balmer of Piscataway; Reynard Bronson, 34, of Newark; Sean Crosby, 35, of Lakewood; Gregory Delarosa, 38, of Jersey City; Bernard Mendez, of Lakewood; Robert Randolph, 36, Howell; Christopher Romero, 28, Lakewood; Byron Simpson, 46, of Plainfield. (A complete list of those arrested and their mugshots can be found in the photo gallery above)