On Feb. 21, police in New Jersey announced that three people were taken into custody after drugs were found during multiple raids. The raids reportedly concluded an investigation into cocaine trafficking that had been going on for a month. The accused individuals are a 25-year-old man, his 24-year-old girlfriend and a 35-year-old man.
The investigation into the alleged criminal activities reportedly began when a Fort Lee police detective learned that the 25-year-old man had obtained a driver's license through fraud. Detectives then gathered information about a car that was allegedly being used to transport drugs. After stopping the vehicle, police officers determined that it contained a hidden compartment in the dashboard. However, the dashboard was empty at the time, and the driver did not receive any charges.
When a search warrant was executed at the 25-year-old man's apartment, cocaine was found hidden in the stove. In addition to the cocaine, investigators seized packaging materials and over $6,000 in cash. A raid at the 35-year-old man's residence led to the discovery of over $14,000 in cash, a kilo press and a small quantity of heroin. The 25-year-old man was charged for cocaine distribution, money laundering and identity theft while his girlfriend was charged for cocaine distribution. The 35-year-old man faces charges for heroin possession and money laundering.
A person who is facing drug charges after a raid might want to have a criminal defense attorney look into the details of the search warrant that was used by investigators. In some cases, mistakes on a search warrant can lead to evidence being found inadmissible in court. The suppression of key pieces of evidence can often result in drug charges being dropped.
Source: NJ.com, "Cocaine found in stove, $20K seized in Fort Lee drug takedown, police say," Noah Cohen, Feb. 21, 2015