3 Kilos Of Cocaine, 30 Lbs. Of Marijuana, $181K Found In Bergen Drug Mill Bust: Prosecutor

A Bergen County man is accused of running a drug mill after police found 3 kilograms of cocaine, 30 pounds of marijuana and more than $180,000 in a North Jersey home recently, authorities said.

Hackensack Police responded to a call of two suspicious men in the the Riverside Square Mall parking lot March 2, Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal said.

An investigation revealed that Allen Statam, 55, of Miramar, Fla. and and Juan Norzagaray, 33, of Tuscon, Ariz., were in possession of more than $68,000 which police "believed to be derived from criminal activity," Gerwal said. The men were arrested on money laundering charges.

Members of the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office were advised of the arrests. From there, the prosecutor's office coordinated with the Hackensack and Edgewater Police departments and the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency, who responded to an Edgewater residence where narcotics and more money were suspected to be, Gerwal said.

Authorities found Gary Mertil outside the home in possession of marijuana, Gerwal said. He was arrested and, based on "further intelligence," authorities obtained a search warrant for the residence, the prosecutor said.

Authorities executed the search warrant and found Darnell Miller, 34, of Edgewater, inside, along with a "drug mill" on the lower level with about three kilograms of cocaine, 30 pounds of marijuana, one ounce of heroin, a kilogram press machine, and nearly $182,000 in cash, Gerwal said.

Miller was arrested and charged with possession with the intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, namely cocaine, possession with intent to distribute marijuana, maintaining or operating a premise for manufacturing cocaine, possession with intent to distribute heroin, possession of a firearm while committing a controlled dangerous substance crime, money laundering, tampering with evidence, three counts of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, heroin and marijuana while in a school zone, and three counts of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin and marijuana while within a park zone, Grewal said.

Miller was issued a warrant and held at the Bergen County Jail, pending a first appearance in Bergen County Central Judicial Processing Court, authorities said.

Mertil, 32, of West New York, was charged with possession of marijuana in an amount less than 50 grams.

Statam, Norzagaray and Mertil were released on their own recognizance pending a first appearance in Bergen County Central Judicial Processing Court.

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Photos: Darnell Miller, Gary Mertil, Allen Statam and Juan Norzagaray — Courtesy of the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office