A New Jersey prosecutor was recently jailed as authorities claimed he was involved in drug trafficking. The 44-year-old man from Edgewater is a municipal prosecutor.
He was taken to Bergen County Jail after being formally accused of giving financial backing to a large-scale drug operation.
The charges include money laundering and financial facilitation. The alleged drug ring is believed by authorities to have brought 1,000 pounds of marijuana to New Jersey from California.
The investigation originally centered on to other men which eventually led police to the prosecutor. The authorities then investigated the men, ages 43 and 34, who were from Edgewater but made frequent trips to California where police believe they acquired illegal drugs.
Once they were there, they would allegedly send high-grade marijuana back to New Jersey through a number of California post offices. The authorities were apparently able to secure some of the shipments between California and New Jersey and found 100 pounds of the drug inside. They estimated that the drugs carried roughly a $400,000 street value. Both of those men were arrested on drug trafficking charges.
Once the men were arrested, investigators started to trace back through the operation's network. This first led authorities to a 22-year-old man from New Milford who served as a banker. That man allegedly gave them large bills so that they would have less money to carry through the airports en route to California. Investigators discovered that the two alleged drug dealers were put into contact by the prosecutor who was recently arrested.
A number of others were arrested in connection with the drug ring, but investigators continue to hunt down more alleged culprits.
Source: NJ.com: "North Bergen prosecutor arrested on charges of participation in large-scale marijuana ring," Michelangelo Conte, April 16, 2012