TWELVE ARRESTED IN TAKEDOWN OF GANG-RELATED DRUG RING THAT SOLD LARGE AMOUNTS OF HEROIN AND COCAINE OUT OF DRUG MILLS IN PATERSON

Division of Criminal Justice and Paterson Police Department led “Operation 42-50” targeting a local set of the Crips street gang that was trafficking drugs in a violent neighborhood

TRENTON –Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today announced arrests of 12 alleged members of a drug network run by a local set of the Crips street gang that was trafficking large amounts of heroin and crack cocaine in a section of Paterson, N.J., that has been plagued by gun violence.

Beginning last Thursday, Oct. 15, the Division of Criminal Justice and Paterson Police Department arrested alleged leaders, members, and associates of the “42-50” set of the Crips who allegedly were trafficking heroin and crack cocaine in open air drug markets in the area of Godwin Avenue and Auburn Street.  The set is named for the address of a building on Auburn Street where they operated.  The gang allegedly possesses guns, and the neighborhood has been a hot spot for shootings involving rival gangs, including shootings targeting members of the 42-50 set.

During the investigation, authorities seized over 21,000 single-dose wax folds of heroin – some of which also contained fentanyl – and more than a kilo of crack cocaine.  The gang is believed to have been distributing approximately 50,000 doses of heroin and a kilo of crack cocaine per week.  When search warrants were executed last week, investigators uncovered a heroin mill inside a building in the first block of North York Street where the gang cut and packaged heroin for sale, as well as a crack cocaine mill inside an apartment in the 300 block of Summer Street.

Heroin seized by detectives and sold by the drug ring was packaged in wax folds stamped with the same brand names that have been linked to eight fatal and 14 nonfatal overdoses in New Jersey.

The following two alleged top members of the 42-50 Crips set were charged with promoting organized street crime, a first-degree charge that carries a sentence of 15 to 30 years in state prison:

• Marvin Goodwin, 29, of Paterson, N.J., allegedly ran the drug set and was its main drug supplier.  He suffered non-fatal injuries in a drive-by shooting on Aug. 6, 2020, in the area of Hamilton Avenue and Auburn Street.  Another 42-50 gang member was struck and wounded by gunfire in a shooting last week at Godwin Avenue and Auburn Street.

• Terike Gass, 40, of Paterson, N.J., allegedly is Goodwin’s closest associate and assists Goodwin in managing the drug set.

Goodwin, Gass and five other defendants are charged with first-degree racketeering.  Gass – and three men who were arrested inside the crack cocaine mill on Summer Street – face first-degree charges of maintaining or operating a drug production facility and possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.  When detectives approached the mill on Summer Street to execute the search warrant, defendants allegedly began throwing crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia out of the apartment’s windows.

“Through collaborative investigations such as Operation 42-50, we are targeting the drug traffickers who profit from the deadly opioid epidemic and bring violence to the neighborhoods of our cities,” said Attorney General Grewal. “Paterson is a regional distribution center for heroin and fentanyl, and this Crips set was running its open-air drug markets in an area torn by gang-related gun violence.  We will continue to work closely with the Paterson Police Department to eliminate these criminal organizations that are destroying so many lives.”

“As a result of this operation, we charged the two alleged top members of this gang with first-degree promoting organized street crime, which carries a sentence of up to 30 years in state prison,” said Director Veronica Allende of the Division of Criminal Justice.  “We charged those men and nine other defendants with various other first-degree charges carrying a sentence of up to 20 years.  I commend the detectives and attorneys in our Gangs and Organized Crime North Unit and our partners in the Paterson Police Department for their thorough investigation, which enabled us to file these serious charges.”

“I want to thank Attorney General Grewal and his office for supporting the Paterson Police Department in our battle against illegal drugs, guns and violence,” said Paterson Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale.  “This battle is ongoing, but our strong partnerships with the Attorney General’s Office, Division of Criminal Justice, and State Police will help ensure that criminal organizations are investigated, disrupted and ultimately dismantled.  The coordination between us has unleashed the power of the many to bring successful investigations aimed at reducing violence and arresting the individuals responsible for creating a wave of illegal drug distribution in our city.”

During the course of the investigation, detectives made undercover purchases of 10 “bricks” of heroin. Each brick contains 50 single-dose wax folds of heroin.  They also seized 108 bricks of heroin and over 200 grams of crack cocaine during execution of search warrants in September.  Together those purchases and seizures totaled approximately 5,900 doses of heroin.

When arrests were made and search warrants were executed last Thursday, Oct. 15, investigators seized approximately 15,300 single-dose wax folds of heroin packaged in bricks and 10-dose “bundles.”  They also seized more than 800 grams of crack cocaine and approximately $110,000 in U.S. currency.

“In the midst of the COVID pandemic, there is still an opioid crisis and we are still doing all that we can to help those suffering from addiction,” said Attorney General Grewal.  “Meanwhile, drug dealers are continuing their corrosive commerce, despite the pandemic, bringing death and destruction to our communities. We are determined to bring these ruthless profiteers to justice.”

Deputy Attorney General Anna E. Gildea is lead prosecutor on the case for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, under the supervision of Deputy Bureau Chief Cynthia Vazquez and Bureau Chief Lauren Scarpa Yfantis.  The investigation was conducted by Detective Russell Kingsland, who was lead detective, and other Detectives in the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime North Unit, under the supervision of Sgt. Patrick Sole, Lt. Brian Bruton, and Chief of Detectives Weldon Powell; and by Detectives of the Paterson Police Department Narcotics Unit, under the leadership of Captain Bert Ribiero,  Chief Ibrahim Baycora, Public Safety Director Jerry Speziale, and Paterson Mayor Andre Sayegh.  The New Jersey State Police Intelligence Section provided assistance in the investigation.

The following 12 defendants were charged as indicated by the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice and Paterson Police Department in Operation 42-50:

1. Marvin Goodwin, 29, of Paterson, N.J.

1. • 1^st Degree Promoting Organized Street Crime
   • 1^st Degree Racketeering
   • 2^nd Degree Conspiracy

1. Terike Gass, 40, of Paterson, N.J.

1. • 1^st Degree Promoting Organized Street Crime
   • 1^st Degree Racketeering
   • 1^st Degree Maintaining or Operating a Narcotics Production Facility
   • 1^st Degree Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute
   • 1^st Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute
   • 2^nd Degree Conspiracy
   • 2^nd Degree Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute within 500 Feet of Public Property
   • 2^nd Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute within 500 Feet of Public Property
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Heroin
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Cocaine
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Heroin in School Zone
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Cocaine in School Zone

1. Eric Pena, 28, of Paterson, N.J.

1. • 1^st Degree Racketeering
   • 2^nd Degree Distribution of Heroin within 500 Feet of Public Property
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Heroin
   • 3^rd Degree Distribution of Heroin
   • 3^rd Degree Distribution of Heroin in School Zone

1. Javon Cook, 28, Paterson, NJ.

1. • 1^st Degree Racketeering
   • 2^nd Degree Distribution of Heroin within 500 Feet of Public Property
   • 3^rd  Degree Possession of Heroin
   • 3^rd  Degree Distribution heroin
   • 3^rd Degree Distribution of Heroin in School Zone

1. Christopher Younger, 19, Paterson, N.J.

1. • 1^st Degree Racketeering
   • 2^nd Degree Distribution of Heroin within 500 Feet of Public Property
   • 2^nd Degree Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute within 500 Feet of Public Property
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Heroin
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute
   • 3^rd Degree Distribution of Heroin
   • 3^rd Degree Distribution of Heroin in School Zone
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute in School Zone

1. Steven Godbolt, 48, Paterson, N.J.

1. • 1^st Degree Racketeering
   • 2^nd Degree Distribution of Heroin within 500 Feet of Public Property
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Heroin
   • 3^rd Degree Distribution of Heroin
   • 3^rd Degree Distribution of Heroin in School Zone

1. Kenneth McKinney, 21, of Paterson, N.J.

1. • 1^st Degree Racketeering
   • 2^nd Degree Distribution of Heroin within 500 Feet of Public Property
   • 2^nd Degree Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute within 500 Feet of Public Property
   • 2^nd Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute within 500 Feet of Public Property
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Heroin
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Cocaine
   • 3^rd Degree Distribution of Heroin
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute
   • 3^rd Degree Distribution of Heroin in School Zone
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute in School Zone
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute in School Zone

1. Andre Anderson, 36, of Paterson, N.J.

1. • 1^st Degree Maintaining or Operating a Narcotics Production Facility
   • 1^st Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute
   • 2^nd Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute within 500 Feet of Public Property
   • 3^rd  Degree Possession of Cocaine
   • 3^rd  Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute in School Zone
   • 3^rd Degree Hindering Arrest or Prosecution

1. Anthony Hinton, 54, of Paterson, N.J.

1. • 1^st Degree Maintaining or Operating a Narcotics Production Facility
   • 1^st Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute
   • 2^nd Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute within 500 Feet of Public Property
   • 3^rd  Degree Possession of Cocaine
   • 3^rd  Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute in School Zone
   • 3^rd Degree Hindering Arrest or Prosecution

1. Andre White, 43, of Paterson, N.J.

1. • 1^st Degree Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute
   • 1^st Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Heroin
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Cocaine
   • 3rd Deg ree Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute in School Zone
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute in School Zone

1. Shohamaree Brown, 36, of East Orange, N.J.

1. • 2^nd Degree Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute within 500 Feet of Public Property
   • 2^nd Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute within 500 Feet of Public Property
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Heroin
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Cocaine
   • 3rd Degree Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute
   • 3rd Degree Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute in School Zone
   • 3^rd Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute in School Zone

1. Brian Johnson, 37, of Paterson, N.J.

1. • 1^st Degree Maintaining or Operating a Narcotics Production Facility
   • 1^st Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute
   • 2^nd Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute within 500 Feet of Public Property
   • 3^rd  Degree Possession of Cocaine
   • 3^rd  Degree Possession of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute in School Zone
   • 3^rd Degree Hindering Arrest or Prosecution

Anderson was ordered detained following a detention hearing yesterday.  Goodwin, Gass, White, Hinton, and Pena are awaiting detention hearings.  The other defendants were released subject to monitoring conditions.

Promoting organized street crime carries a sentence of 15 to 30 years in state prison and a fine of up to $200,000.  The other first-degree charges carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $200,000, with an enhanced fine of up to $750,000 for the narcotics production facility charge.  First-degree racketeering carries a period of parole ineligibility equal to 85 percent of the sentence imposed.

Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000.  Third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison and a fine of up to $15,000.  For third-degree drug charges, the fine is up to $75,000.

The charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.

Defense Attorneys

For Goodwin: Husain Gatlin, Esq., Newark, N.J.

For Gass: Mark Bailey, Esq., Newark, N.J.

For Pena: Perry Primavera, Esq., Hackensack, N.J

For Anderson: Assistant Deputy Public Defender Alexandra Roche

For Hinton: James Banks, Esq., Hackensack, N.J.

For White: David Pine, Esq., Fair Lawn, N.J.

For Brown: Gregory Aprile, Esq., Wayne, N.J.

# # #