22 Charged In South Jersey Heroin Ring After 48 Die: Feds

CAMDEN, NJ — Twenty-two people were charged for their roles in an Atlantic City-based heroin trafficking organization, the U.S. Attorney's Office announced Thursday. The group has been responsible for 48 deaths and 84 non-fatal overdoses in New Jersey since Jan. 1, 2017, according to an FBI investigation.

Officials conducted an authorized wiretap investigation between April 2017 and June 2019, the USAO said. Authorities discovered that the organization's leader, Khalif Toombs, operated a massive drug distribution ring.

“The defendants charged today have been flooding the streets of Atlantic City and surrounding towns with heroin, often with tragic results,” said U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito.

The ring used multiple stash houses throughout Atlantic City, the USAO said. Multiple people redistributed the heroin, according to authorities. Toombs received his heroin from a supplier in Paterson and used Atlantic City associates to make frequent trips there to obtain the resupply, the USAO said.

The FBI determined that Toombs and his associates distributed multiple "stamps," or brands, of heroin. Stamps included “AK-47,” “Apple,” “Fortnite,” “Rolex,” “Frank Lucas,” “Bentley,” “Pandora,” and “9 ½," officials said.

Nineteen defendants have been arrested. One individual — Quadir Stanley — was already in state custody. Two people — Blaine Dorsey and Thomas Randall — are still at large as of Thursday morning: , the USAO said.

Every defendant was charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute or possess with intent to distribute over one kilogram of heroin, the USAO said.

The following individuals were charged, according to the USAO:

• Khalif Toombs, 29, of Pleasantville
• Wilbert Toombs, 63, of Atlantic City
• Blaine Dorsey, 54, of Atlantic City
• Dean Johnson, 39, of Atlantic City
• Mayda Hernandez, 50, of Atlantic City
• Joseph Aversa, 37, of Ventnor
• David Ramirez, 23, of Mays Landing
• James Blackwell, 54, of Atlantic City
• Khalif Davis, 33, of Mays Landing
• Wayne Burnside, 28, of Atlantic City
• Jeremy Carll, 47, of Mays Landing
• Sarah Taliaferro, 26, of Brigantine
• Philip Surace, 32, of Atlantic City
• Valarie Lamar, 59, of Atlantic City
• Karon Carey, 35, of Atlantic City
• Thomas Randall, 25, of Mays Landing
• Nasir Brown, 26, of Somers Point
• Tieyesha Tucker, 25, of Atlantic City
• Jamal Marshall, 25, of Atlantic City
• Quadir Stanley, 30, of Atlantic City
• Tyjuan Demarest, 39, of Elmwood Park
• Terryn Kelsey, 29, of Atlantic City

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