Bloomfield Man Arrested For Alleged Role In 'Heroin Production Mill'

The NJ State Police reported that their detectives shut down an alleged “heroin production mill” on Friday that was operating out of a Newark apartment.

On Friday, state police detectives executed two search warrants as part of an ongoing investigation, arresting four men and seizing about 16,000 decks of heroin with a street value of $200,000.

Police also found a quantity of raw heroin, grinders, branding stamps, and cutting agents during the raid.

According to authorities, detectives from the Crime Suppression and Trafficking units observed Bienvenido Cuevas-Ruiz, 49, leaving his 2nd Avenue apartment carrying two, large beer boxes. He then took a taxi to Lake Avenue, where he placed the boxes into a silver Ford Focus driven by Jason Bacchus, 31, of Bloomfield.

Troopers arrested Bacchus when he stopped at a local gas station and found 15,800 decks of heroin packaged for distribution in the boxes.

Detectives also allegedly saw Leoncio Gonzalez-Tolentino, 47, and Edward Cruz, 31, leave the 2nd Avenue apartment and proceed to their apartment at 265 Lake Avenue.

Troopers and canine units subsequently executed search warrants on the two residences and found 10 ounces of raw heroin, a large quantity of packaged heroin, 26 heroin stamps, grinders, cutting agents and miscellaneous heroin packaging paraphernalia.

Police stated that all of the heroin was found in the 2nd Avenue apartment.

Cuevas-Ruiz, Gonzalez-Tolentino and Cruz were charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, conspiracy, possession of heroin within 1,000 feet of a school, possession of heroin within 500 feet of a park, distribution of drug paraphernalia and maintaining a drug production facility.

Essex County Superior Court Judge Nancy Sivilli set bail for each at $250,000 full cash.

Bacchus was charged with possession of heroin with intent to distribute, conspiracy, possession of heroin within 1,000 feet of a school, possession of heroin within 500 feet of a park and distribution of drug paraphernalia.

Bail was set at $150,000 full cash for Bacchus.

All four men were lodged in Essex County Jail in default of bail.

The Division of Criminal Justice in the Office of the Attorney General is prosecuting the case.