March 7, 2022- 8:01 p.m.
The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office announced on Monday that a seven-month multiagency investigation into cocaine and crystal methamphetamine distribution netted nearly two dozen arrests and seized more than $250,000 in drugs.
Somerset County Acting Prosecutor Thomas J. Chirichella Jr. said that law enforcement officers executed search warrants on Feb. 16 and seized approximately 700 grams of cocaine, 1,257 grams of methamphetamine, 36 pounds of marijuana, 950 grams of tetrahydrocannabinol (THC), 32 grams of psilocybin mushrooms, 9 grams of methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA), four folds of heroin, seven handguns, one shotgun, eight high-capacity magazines, 1,200 rounds of full-metal-jacket ammunition, 130 rounds of hollow-point ammunition and $183,000 in cash.
The following men were arrested and charged with running the drug distribution operation. They have each been charged with a series of offenses, ranging from first-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance with the intent to distribute, to fourth-degree possession of a defaced firearm.
- Jeffrey Cope, 58, of Franklin
- Thomas O’Brien, 58, of Franklin
- Shayne Murdock, 43, of Raritan
- Jermaine Lloyd, 41, of South Bound Brook
- Jason Fort, 31, of Bound Brook
- David Ninson, 33, of Franklin
- Shakaun Toney, 34, of Franklin
- George Hanriot, 45, of Franklin
- John Hanriot, 42, of Somerville
- Gabriel Rodriguez, 41, of Branchburg
According to the prosecutor, the narcotics seized have an estimated street value as follows:
- Methamphetamine: $105,560
- Marijuana: $90,000
- Cocaine: $42,000
- THC: $19,000
- Psilocybin mushrooms: $800
- MDMA: $540
- Heroin: $20
More than a dozen others have been charged in the sting with attempting to buy drugs.
The following agencies assisted the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office in the investigation: the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office; Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Newark Field Division; Franklin Township Police Department; Raritan Borough Police Department; New Jersey State Police; New Jersey State Police TEAMS; Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Tactical Narcotics Team; Somerset County SWAT Team; Warren County Tactical Response Team; United States Postal Inspection Service Newark Division; Bound Brook Police Department; Bridgewater Police Department; Somerville Police Department; Branchburg Police Department; Somerset County Sheriff’s Office, and the K-9 Units from the Somerset County Sherriff’s Office, Bound Brook Police Department, New Brunswick Police Department, Clinton Township Police Department, and Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Newark Field Division.
Anyone with information in this investigation is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Organized Crime and Narcotics Task Force at 908-231-7100 or via the STOPit app. Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477).
