Brick Man Arrested Twice In 24 Hours In Heroin Deals: Police

BRICK, NJ — Three men were arrested Wednesday — one of them twice in a matter of hours — on heroin charges after police witnessed drug transactions in the Seawood Harbor section of town, Brick police said.

Jonathan Caso, 39, of Brick; Matthew Martindell, 32, of Seaside Heights, and William Grone, 34, of Whiting. all were arrested as the result of an investigation that began when an off-duty police officer observed what appeared to be a drug transaction shortly after noon, Capt. Vincent Pacitti said.

Pacitti said the officer saw one of the subjects, later identified as Caso, leave the area in a white Volkswagen Jetta. Patrolman Scott Smith located the car on Drum Point Road and pulled the car over, Pacitti said, and Caso admitted to meeting with Grone to get some heroin.

Caso told police he had hoped Grone would give him the heroin and let him pay for it later, but Grone refused, Pacitti said.

Caso was found to be in possession of several needles and a bag of heroin, he said, and was arrested and charged with possession of heroin paraphernalia and possession of a hypodermic needle.

About two hours later, the off-duty officer saw what appeared to be a second drug transaction in the Seawood Harbor section, Pacitti said. The rear passenger of a black Nissan Altima was seen meeting with Grone, and after the meeting, the Altima drove to the Walgreens at 2546 Hooper Ave., he said. There, members of the Selective Enforcement Team located the car in the parking lot and saw the rear-seat passenger, identified as Martindell, preparing a hypodermic needle for injection, he said.

Martindell, was removed from the vehicle and arrested and he admitted purchasing heroin from a friend named “Willy,” Pacitti said. Martindell was charged with possession of heroin, possession of a hypodermic needle and possession of heroin paraphernalia, he said.

Patrolman Frank Mauro, Patrolman Dominic Puccio, and and Sgt. Erik Olsen of the Selective Enforcement Team then established surveillance in the area where the drug deals were occurring, and at about 5 p.m. a white Volkswagen Jetta was seen in the area and the driver was seen meeting with Grone, Pacitti said.

The driver of the Volkswagen was identified by the officers as Caso, the same man arrested earlier
in the day, who had been processed and released after being issued a summons, Pacitti said.

Caso was stopped again and admitted purchasing 10 wax folds of heroin from Grone, he said. The heroin was recovered and Caso was arrested and charged with possession of heroin and possession of heroin paraphernalia, Pacitti said.

Mauro and Puccio found Grone and confronted him about the recent heroin sales, Pacitti said, and arrested him on charges of distribution of heroin, possession of heroin and possession of heroin
paraphernalia. Grone had $504 in his possession at the time of his arrest, which was seized pending forfeiture proceedings, Pacitti said.

Brick Township Municipal Court Judge Joseph D. Grisanti set bail at $7,500 for Caso, $7,500 for Martindell, and $30,000 for Grone, Pacitti said. Caso and Martindell were being held in the Ocean County Jail, Toms River, in lieu of bail, but Grone apparently posted bail after he was taken to the jail, as no one by that name was listed in Ocean County Jail records.

Handcuffs via Shutterstock; Photos via Ocean County Corrections Department