Largest Drug Bust in Atlantic County: Egg Harbor Township, Pleasantville, NJ, Men Charged
Two Atlantic County men have been charged with conspiring to distribute heroin.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael Honig says 39-year-old Ricardo Clavijo of Egg Harbor Township and 37-year-old Christopher Gonzalez of Pleasantville were charged on Wednesday with conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute over one kilogram of heroin.
Both defendants appeared before a judge and were held without bail.
Honig's office says on Monday, cops, along with the Drug Enforcement Agency, executed a search warrant at an Egg Harbor Township home. According to a press release,
"They encountered Clavijo at the front door and Gonzalez in the basement. In the basement of the residence, law enforcement officers discovered five kilogram-sized packages of suspected fentanyl, eight kilogram-sized packages of suspected fentanyl or cocaine, two kilogram-sized packages of suspected heroin, tens of thousands of pre-packaged individual doses of suspected heroin, additional narcotics packaging materials and paraphernalia, and an electronic money counter. Agents also found a .45 caliber handgun, a loaded magazine for the handgun, and a 9mm 50-round drum magazine."
The conspiracy count carries a minimum of ten years in prison, possibly up to life, and potentially millions of dollars in fines.
The public is reminded that charges and allegations are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.