Doctor and 16 Atlantic County Drug Dealers Arrested in Big State Bust

A major win today for the State of New Jersey and the War on Illegal Prescription Drugs.

According to State Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino, a medical doctor and 16 Atlantic County residents have been arrested and charged for their parts in the distribution of 2 big name drugs.

We have the list of those arrested.

Porrino says they the 16 residents have been charged with allegedly "distributing tens of thousands of high-dose pills of the opioid painkiller oxycodone, as well as the anti-anxiety drug alprazolam, sold under the brand name Xanax."  Meanwhile the doctor, from Essex County, has been charged with selling prescriptions to the 16 and writing fraudulent prescriptions.

Here are details from a new release issued today by Porrino's office:

The following three defendants allegedly led the drug ring in Atlantic County supplied by Dr. Gialanella: Mary Connolly, 54, of Egg Harbor Township, N.J, Douglas Patterson, 53, of Egg Harbor Township, N.J., Connolly’s ex-husband, and Lauren Connolly, 28, of Egg Harbor Township, N.J., Connolly’s daughter.

 

Those defendants and 13 other defendants, including Mary Connolly’s son Robert Connolly, 31, of Galloway, N.J., are charged with either second- or third-degree distribution of narcotics or conspiracy to distribute narcotics.  The other 12 of those defendants are listed below. Mary Connolly’s son Michael Connolly, Jr., 33, of Galloway, is charged with third-degree obtaining narcotics by fraud, bringing the total number of defendants charged to 18.

 

The following 12 defendants are charged with distribution of narcotics and/or conspiracy to distribute narcotics:

 

1. Danielle Grainger, 33, of Linwood, N.J.
2. William Warren, 51, of Egg Harbor Township, N.J.
3. Francis Clemson, 53, of Ocean View, N.J.
4. Ashton Funk, 35, of Northfield, N.J.
5. Theodore Gogol, 37, of Margate, N.J.
6. Beatriz Oquendo, 34, of Pleasantville, N.J.
7. Amanda Blomdahl, 37, of Somers Point, N.J.
8. Kevin Reid, 47, of Ventnor, N.J.
9. David Blocker, 49, of Galloway, N.J.
10. Joseph Green, 39, of Atlantic City, N.J.
11. Christopher Perez, 34, of Mays Landing, N.J., and
12. John Hager, 39, of Deptford, N.J.

The entire news release can be accessed here.