Essex County Man Busted For Running 'Mobile Drug Bazaar': Police

Authorities have charged an Essex County man with running a “mobile drug bazaar” and committing aggravated assault on police during an arrest in the city’s North Ward on Sunday.

According to the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, in response to “numerous complaints of open-air drug trafficking by residents and business owners,” conducted a plainclothes surveillance operation in the area of Broadway and Oriental Place on Sunday afternoon.

During the surveillance operation, police allegedly saw a male suspect identified as Bilal Rodgers, 25, of Newark, loitering in the courtyard of a residential complex.

Officers allegedly saw a 40-year-old Belleville woman approach Rodgers and have a brief conversation. Soon afterwards, officers reported seeing Rodgers walk to his parked 2003 Acura TL and remove items from a knit hat that was on the center console, then exchange the items for money with the woman, later identified as Linda Ramirez.

Officers detained Ramirez a few blocks away and found five heroin-filled glassine envelopes stamped “JUST DO IT” in red ink in her possession, authorities stated.

Simultaneously, officers followed Rodgers as he drove away from the scene and parked in a driveway on Broad Street. Police then boxed Rodgers in the driveway and announced their presence.

According to authorities, Rodgers “went into a rage” and attempted to punch, elbow, knee, kick and spit at detectives.

After subduing Rodgers and searching the area, officers found 164 envelopes of heroin, 28 vials of crack-cocaine and 26 Xanax tablets inside the knit hat, authorities reported.

Police arrested Rodgers and charged him with four counts of aggravated assault on law enforcement officers, three counts each of possession of a controlled dangerous substance (possession of CDS with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 1000 feet of Rafael Hernandez School and possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public housing complex), distribution of CDS and resisting arrest.

Police charged Ramirez with possession of CDS. She was also found to be in violation of an order issued against her by the New Jersey State Parole Board and had an open warrant issued by the Saddle River municipal court.