Monmouth Cocaine Ring Had Brick Ties: Authorities

BRICK, NJ — The takedown of a narcotics ring that was distributing cocaine throughout Monmouth County included surveillance at a number of residences in the area, including one in Brick, federal authorities said.

The federal complaint filed Thursday that charged 20 people with conspiracy to distribute more than 500 grams of cocaine and 280 grams of crack cocaine over a four-month period resulted from four months of wiretaps and hours of in-person surveillance, the complaint said.

The in-person surveillance backed up information obtained from the wiretaps, including sites where people met for the drug transactions and places where some of those charged were staying.

Among those sites was the home of the girlfriend of Dequan Copeland of Red Bank. Copeland is accused of being one of the key figures in the cocaine distribution ring, and during one surveillance episode noted in the complaint he was staying with his girlfriend at her home in Brick. The girlfriend was not named in the complaint and was not charged.

Carpenito noted the cooperation of Brick Township police in the investigation.

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