Six Arrested In Major Drug Busts At Two Apartments in Bayville

Berkeley Township detectives and the Ocean County Regional SWAT team arrested six people in two separate residences at the Berkeley Garden Apartments on Frederick Drive on Wednesday night, Police Chief Karin T. DiMichele said.

Authorities executed two search warrants on the apartments at 9:15 p.m. after receiving numerous citizen complaints about narcotics distribution in the area and along the Route 9 corridor near the Berkeley Plaza, the chief said.

The Ocean County Regional SWAT Team executed the warrants.

Significant quantities of narcotics were discovered in both apartments. Police found that in the first apartment, Ivan Day, 56, had 100 individual packets of suspected heroin. Day was charged with possession of heroin, possession of drug paraphernalia used to distribute the heroin and possession of heroin with the intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public building, DiMichele said.

Madeline Rodriguez, 48, Barnegat Avenue, Seaside Heights, had several wax folds of heroin. She was charged with possession of heroin and released on a summons, the chief said.

Berkeley detectives uncovered a suspected heroin manufacturing facility in the second apartment.

“This location was responsible for producing large amounts of heroin for resale in the area,” DiMichele said. ”Located in the apartment were nearly 500 individual packets of heroin along with several thousand packets of unused wax folds with stamps in place. This was accompanied by a large quantity of raw unpackaged heroin which was not yet put into the individual packets. Other paraphernalia used to package heroin for distribution were also located.” t

In addition, distribution weight crack cocaine (over ½ Ounce) and associated paraphernalia were located in the home, along with more than 100 oxycodone pills, which were being sold out of the apartment, and a stun gun, DiMichele said.

Arrested from the second home were Isaiah Jackson, 22, Vernon Hackney, 29, EzekielPenny, 26, and Asia Jackson, 29, all of Frederick Drive in Bayville. All four were charged with maintaining a controlled dangerous substance manufacturing facility, possession of cocaine, possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute, possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public building, possession of heroin, possession of heroin with the intent to distribute, possession of heroin with the intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public building, possession of less than one ounce of Oxycodone with the intent to distribute and possession of a weapon while committing a drug offense, DiMichele said.

Ocean County Superior Court Judge Rochelle Gizinski set Penny and Hackney’s bails at $500,000 cash. Asia Jackson’s bail was set at $400,000 cash. Jackson’s bail was set at $300,000 cash and Day’s bail as set at $175,000 cash. All were taken to the Ocean County Jail in Toms River in default of bail, the chief said..

Police also stopped Eric Miller, 22, Sherman Avenue, in his vehicle and found him in possession of distribution weight marijuana and large quantity of cash. Miller was charged with possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute. Miller was released on a summons, DiMichele said.

“This investigation was the result of enhanced narcotics enforcement by the Berkeley Township Detective Bureau,” the chief said. ”Members of the Detective Bureau work closely with concerned citizens and business owners who have provided crucial information in addressing the complaints in this area.”

Berkeley detectives also work closely with the Ocean County Prosecutors Office Special Operations Group and The Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, DiMichele said.