Berkeley Home Used To Store Drugs: Prosecutor

BERKELEY, NJ — A Berkeley woman was one of two charged in an investigation that revealed homes in Toms River and Berkeley were being used to deal narcotics throughout Ocean County, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

Nicholas Ryland, 32, of Cream Ridge and Quadazia Scott, 33, of Berkeley were both charged following a three-month investigation into the distribution of narcotics in the county, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Detectives set up surveillance on the Toms River and Berkeley homes on May 2 in an attempt to find Ryland, Billhimer said.

Ryland and a woman, later identified as Scott, were seen leaving the Berkeley home in their respective vehicles, Billhimer said.

Detectives continued to watch the two and conducted a motor vehicle stop on Ryland as he approached the Toms River home, Billhimer said. Ryland was then taken into custody.

Police then executed search warrants on the home and Ryland's car, Billhimer said. Seized were 46 grams of crack cocaine, several bricks of heroin/fentanyl, a large quantity of suboxone tablets, assorted drug paraphernalia and $16,000 in cash, Billhimer said.

Detectives also watched Scott as she headed to Lakewood. They stopped her car and she was detained and later released as police applied for a search warrant, Billhimer said. Execution of a court-authorized search warrant resulted in detectives seizing a quantity of crack cocaine from Scott's vehicle.

The Berkeley home was searched the same day, where detectives seized a quantity of crack cocaine, assorted drug paraphernalia, a large capacity ammunition magazine and a Glock semi-automatic handgun that had been reported stolen out of Richmond, Virginia, Billhimer said.

Both Ryland and Scott were charged with numerous drug offenses. Ryland was taken to Ocean County Jail where he remains pending a detention hearing. A warrant was issued for Scott's arrest and she turned herself in on May 3, and was subsequently released on her own recognizance, Billhimer said.