New Jersey's 'Hottest' Heroin Ring Busted, Authorities Announce; 15 Charged

Fifteen members of a major drug ring have been indicted in an ongoing probe of New Jersey's "hottest" heroin target, authorities announced Tuesday.

The ring distributed a combined total of 20 to 30 kilos of heroin and cocaine per month in New Jersey and North Philadelphia, authorities said. The defendants were indicted as part of “Operation Inferno,” an investigation by the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, the FBI and several agencies.

Among those indicted was the ring's leader, Fernando Diaz-Rivera, on charges that included first-degree racketeering. Diaz-Rivera was one of the biggest heroin and cocaine suppliers in Camden and North Philadelphia, according to a release from New Jersey Attorney General Christopher S. Porrino, who described the ring as "the hottest target we could get" in a community riddled with heroin abuse.

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The Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau obtained a state grand jury indictment this week charging Diaz-Rivera, 34, aka “Gordo,” who has homes in Salem City and Salinas, Puerto Rico, according to the release.

Fourteen associates were also charged with first-degree racketeering — carrying a sentence of up to 20 years in prison — and second-degree conspiracy.

The indictment charges Diaz-Rivera with leading a narcotics-trafficking network over the past several years, a charge that carries a sentence of 25 years without parole to life in prison. It also charges Diaz-Rivera and an alleged top deputy, Luis Merced, aka “Moodo,” 34, of Philadelphia, with first-degree promoting organized street crime, which carries a sentence of 15 to 30 years in prison, according to the release.

Diaz-Rivera, Merced and five others face additional first-degree drug charges. Diaz-Rivera remains in custody in Puerto Rico, and Merced remains in custody in Pennsylvania.

In the months before the takedown, Diaz-Rivera allegedly ran the ring from Puerto Rico, giving orders to other top ring members, particularly Merced. The ring, which has ties to Mexican drug suppliers, allegedly used guns and threats of violence to conduct its business, according to the release.

The Attorney General’s Office seized more than six kilos of heroin and about nine kilos of cocaine during the investigation, intercepting shipments from Chicago and Puerto Rico. The drugs were worth more than $600,000 wholesale, and once cut and packaged for sale on the street, could have commanded up to $2 million or more.

“Diaz-Rivera allegedly was one of the biggest heroin suppliers in Camden and North Philadelphia, which are major distribution hubs for the heroin and fentanyl-laced heroin killing so many people across the region,” said Porrino. “By locking up Diaz-Rivera and his associates, we stopped tens of thousands of doses of heroin from reaching the street each week and undoubtedly saved many lives. This indictment will enable us to keep these defendants behind bars for a long time.”

The following defendants were named in the indictment:

• Fernando Diaz-Rivera, 34, aka “Gordo,” of Salem City, New Jersey, and Salinas, Puerto Rico
• Luis Merced, aka “Moodo,” 34, of Philadelphia
• Luis Medero, 34, of Camden, also known as “Chucho”
• Javier Rosa-Romero, 31, of Salinas, Puerto Rico, and Camden, also known as “Jav”
• Angel Rosa-Ramos, 24, of Camden, also known as “Chongo”
• Helmer Garcia, 28, of Camden, also known as “E”
• Karina Olmeda-Burgos, 22, of Salem City (Diaz-Rivera’s girlfriend),
• Angel Padilla, 44, of Camden, also known as “Choiry”
• Francisco Vinicio Savignon-Paulino, 30, of Bronx, New York, also known as “Vinicio”
• Angel Martinez, 39, of Camden, also known as “Pica”
• Aleisha Marin-Vializ, 28, of Camden
• Juan Carlos Moreno-Borrero, 20, of Salinas, Puerto Rico, and Camden, also known as “Moreno”
• Jonathan Contreras, 29, of Camden
• Victor Matais, 35, of Camden
• Krislee Padilla, 39, of Camden (Angel Padilla’s wife)

Two defendants who were arrested last year pleaded guilty before indictments:

• Alexis Burgos, 38, of Mount Holly, New Jersey, also known as “Papote,” pleaded guilty on Oct. 13 to a charge of second-degree conspiracy.
• Marcos Mendoza, 20, of Camden, pleaded guilty on Oct. 6 to a charge of third-degree conspiracy.

Diaz-Rivera allegedly exercised control over the criminal enterprise using several key members, including Merced. He allegedly gave orders to Merced regarding the operation of the enterprise, and Merced in turn gave orders to lower-level members of the enterprise, according to the release.

Merced allegedly was responsible for the enterprise’s finances, managing its supply of drugs, dealing with the enterprise’s suppliers, and overseeing the enterprise’s street-level drug sets, according to the release.

These wholesale distributors allegedly brokered deals for kilogram quantities of drugs to be fronted to lower-level members of the enterprise and collected money from drug sales to be funneled back to Diaz-Rivera through Merced, according to the release.

At Diaz-Rivera’s direction, Merced allegedly used a portion of the proceeds to reinvest in new product. The rest allegedly was given to Diaz-Rivera’s girlfriend, Karina Olmeda-Burgos. Diaz-Rivera instructed Olmeda-Burgos on what to do with the money. Diaz-Rivera and Olmeda-Burgos are charged in the indictment with second-degree money laundering, according to the release.

In one instance, Medero and Aleisha Marin-Vializ allegedly drove from Camden to Chicago to pick up 10 kilograms of drugs on behalf of the enterprise. They arrived back in Camden several days later. The rental car they were driving was stopped by detectives of the Division of Criminal Justice, and approximately 5 kilograms of cocaine and 5 kilograms of heroin were found under the rear seat of the vehicle, according to the release.

Padilla allegedly had an alternative supplier, Jonathan Contreras, who allegedly arranged to send drugs through the mail from a supplier in Puerto Rico to himself and Marcos Mendoza at addresses in Camden. Two packages were intercepted by the Division of Criminal Justice and the U.S. Postal Service, and four kilos of cocaine were seized, according to the release.

The indictment was handed up to Superior Court Judge Mary C. Jacobson in Mercer County, who assigned the case to Camden County, where the defendants will be ordered to appear at a later date for arraignment.

OAG photo