2 Men Indicted On Narcotics Charges In Atlantic County: Prosecutor

ATLANTIC COUNTY, NJ — Two Atlantic County men were indicted by a grand jury on several narcotics charges, the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said.

Jason Cintron, 38, of Hammonton, and Jovani Rodriguez, 39, of Galloway, were charged after a narcotics investigation targeting Cintron, Prosecutor William E. Reynolds said.

The Liberty Mid-Atlantic HIDTA Task Force was investigating Cintron and received search warrants for his home, storage unit in Egg Harbor City and his Ford F-150 on June 16, Reynolds said.

Before the warrants were executed, officers watched Cintron park his truck on Philadelphia Avenue in Egg Harbor City, Reynolds said. Rodriguez walked up to the truck, opened the passenger door and talked with Cintron, Reynolds said.

Officers believed they were witnessing a drug transaction, Reynolds said, and the HIDTA Task Force and ACPO Gangs, Guns, and Narcotics detectives approached the truck, identifying themselves as police.

Rodriguez fled before he could be arrested, resulting in a struggle with a detective where the detective was injured, Reynolds said.

Police recovered crack cocaine, crystal methamphetamine and heroin/fentanyl from Rodriguez, Reynolds said.

A search of Cintron's truck revealed about more than one-half ounce of heroin/fentanyl, more than one-half ounce of crystal methamphetamine and $459 in cash, Reynolds said.

Heroin packaging found in the truck was consistent with the heroin that Rodriguez had, Reynolds said.

Officers then executed a search warrant on Cintron's home, where a bag containing about one pound of crystal methamphetamine was recovered, along with a handgun magazine loaded with hollow point bullets, Reynolds said.

A three-wheel motorcycle, a 2020 Can Am Spyder F3L registered to Cintron, was seized from his storage unit as police believed it may have been purchased with money from drug dealing, Reynolds said.

This investigation was led by the Liberty Mid-Atlantic HIDTA Task Force with the assistance of the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office Gangs, Guns, & Narcotics Unit and Hammonton Police Department.

Cintron was indicted on the following charges:

• Possession with the intent to distribute five ounces or more of methamphetamine (First-degree)
• Possession with the intent to distribute more than one-half ounce of methamphetamine (Second-degree)
• Possession with intent to distribute more than one-half ounce of heroin/fentanyl (Second Degree)
• Possession of crystal methamphetamine (Third-degree)
• Possession of heroin/ fentanyl (Third-degree)
• Money laundering (Third-degree)
• Possession of hollow point bullets (Fourth-degree)

Rodriguez was indicted on the following charges:

• Possession with the intent to distribute crystal methamphetamine (Third-degree)
• Possession with intent to distribute heroin/fentanyl (Third Degree)
• Possession with the intent to distribute cocaine (Third-degree)
• Possession of crystal methamphetamine (Third Degree)
• Possession of heroin/fentanyl (Third-degree)
• Possession of cocaine (Third-degree)
• Aggravated assault on a law enforcement officer (Third-degree)
• Obstruction (Fourth-degree)
• Resisting arrest (Fourth-degree)