Burlington County Man Charged in Connection With Camden Drug Trafficking Network

A man with addresses in Sicklerville and Camden was among four alleged members of a drug trafficking organization who were charged with distributing heroin and crystal methamphetamine in the Camden area on Wednesday, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Wendell Fleetwood, a/k/a “Dell,” 28, is the alleged leader of the conspiracy, according to a complaint unsealed on Wednesday.

Three other people charged in the conspiracy included: Wendell Bethea, a/k/a “Rell,” a/k/a “Ruger;” 25, of Camden and Maple Shade, N.J.; and Julio Alvarado, 25, and Erica Fleetwood, 24, both of Camden.

A fifth defendant, Brandon Jones, 25, of Camden, remains at large. The charges are the result of an investigation by the Camden County Crime Collaboration (C-4).

Each defendant was charged in a federal criminal complaint unsealed today with one count of conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 50 grams or more of methamphetamine.

The defendants are also charged in separate counts in connection with distribution of heroin and/or methamphetamine to an undercover officer.

Wendell Fleetwood and Bethea are additionally charged with possessing methamphetamine with intent to distribute.

Bethea faces three counts in connection with selling three high-capacity assault weapons to an undercover officer, as well as a handgun that had been used in a recent homicide.

“Because of C-4 – our collaborative partnership with state and local law enforcement -- as well as the more robust Camden County PD and its community policing orientation, and other efforts, Camden is becoming safer every day,” Fishman said. “We are grateful that all of our law enforcement partners share our vision and commitment to make Camden the safe city its residents deserve.”

“While the success of this operation hinged on the teamwork of many agencies, it was the bravery, selflessness and dedication of the law enforcement officers involved that made these significant arrests possible,” Camden County Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo said.

Between November of 2013 and October of 2014, Wendell Fleetwood allegedly ran the “Wendell Fleetwood DTO” drug trafficking ring. The network allegedly engaged in a conspiracy to distribute illegal drugs, primarily heroin, in and around Camden.

Through the authorized interception of cell phone calls and texts, the use of various surveillance methods, controlled undercover purchases and other means, law enforcement learned that Wendell Fleetwood allegedly supplied wholesale quantities of heroin to Bethea and Alvarado, who either resold it to other distributors or repackaged it into smaller quantities for sale to customers.

In intercepted calls, Bethea, Jones and Alvarado and their associates allegedly discussed and directed the purchasing, processing, packaging, storing and distributing of heroin, as well as its quality and the pricing and collection of the proceeds from its sale.

In addition to replacing their cell phones after only a couple weeks of use and speaking in code to avoid detection by law enforcement, the Wendell Fleetwood DTO allegedly used Erica Fleetwood to relay drug-related messages from her brother, Wendell, to Bethea and Jones.

Jones, Alvarado and Erica Fleetwood also allegedly conducted counter surveillance for the DTO. The Wendell Fleetwood DTO allegedly replaced their vehicles frequently to avoid detection, renting cars or obtaining vehicles which were stolen or fraudulently obtained.

The conspiracy count with which each defendant is charged carries a minimum potential penalty of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life in prison and a $10 million fine.

The firearms charges Bethea faces each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

This case was developed through the work of the Camden County Crime Collaboration.

Every federal, state and local law enforcement agency and prosecutor’s office responsible for combating drug trafficking, gang activity and violent crime in Camden has come together in one location to share intelligence, develop strategies and support the investigative and prosecutorial efforts of its partners.

C-4 has merged the individual missions of the various law enforcement agencies into a single strategic attack on drug trafficking and drug-related violent crime.

This coordination greatly enhances the law enforcement community’s ability to identify and prosecute Camden’s most dangerous criminals.

“The dismantling of this sophisticated criminal network wouldn’t have been possible without the dedication and cooperation of all the law enforcement partners who worked long and hard to identify these suspects and ensure their arrest,” Camden Police Chief J. Scott Thomson said. “The removal of these individuals from the community this morning will have an immediate positive impact on public safety in Camden as the supply of illegal drugs and guns on Camden’s streets has just been reduced.”

Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, Cherry Hill Resident Agency’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Hanko; special agents of the DEA, Maple Shade Resident Office’s High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area Group, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Kotowski; investigators of the N.J. State Police’s Violent and Organized Crime Bureau, Trafficking South Unit, under the direction of Superintendent Fuentes; investigators with the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Colalillo; detectives of the Camden County Police Department – Metro, under the direction of Chief J. Scott Thomson, with the investigation leading to today’s charges. He also thanked the U.S. Postal Inspection Service, under the direction of Inspector in Charge David W. Bosch; and the Camden County Sheriff’s Office, under the direction of Charles H. Billingham, for their roles in the case. He also thanked U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Homeland Security Investigations; the N.J. Office of Attorney General, Division of Criminal Justice; the Delaware River Port Authority, the Burlington County Prosecutor’s Office, the Gloucester City Police Department and the Cherry Hill Police Department for their roles in the investigation.