Newark NJ Crystal Meth Charges

Last week, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office arrested a 45-year-old defendant after they seized a large quantity of methamphetamine and “crack” cocaine from his Newark apartment according to the police report. The arrest resulted when detectives executed a search warrant at his North 5th Street residence and recovered huge cache of drugs which included a kilo of crack and 237 grams of crystal meth. Possession and Distribution of Crack Cocaine are common charges in Newark but the methamphetamine is more uncommon. Methamphetamine, also referred to as crystal meth, is a popular drug in the Southwest and often associated with outlaw biker gangs but it is rarely found in New Jersey. A sheriff’s officer was even quoted as saying “The recovery of methamphetamine in this area is indeed rare,” and that “I’ve been in this business for a long time and our Bureau of Narcotics is the second oldest such unit in New Jersey. This may be only the second or third time we’ve come across the hardcore narcotic in three decades.” Hopefully this isn’t an indicator of anything to come as some fear that the highly addictive drug may be gaining some footholds with the growing heroin epidemic among our state’s youths. The defendant appeared for his initial appearance in Essex County Superior Court and is sitting in county jail on a $300,000 bondable bail. However, it is unlikely the defendant will ever be released on the streets of this country again because he will likely be deported since he is not a U.S. citizen.