14 Charged, Drugs Seized In South Jersey Busts: Officials

SOUTH JERSEY — Officials charged more than a dozen South Jersey residents with drug distribution charges and other crimes after a long-term investigation and seized a number of guns, weapons, and vehicles.

The Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office, partnering with several other law enforcement agencies, executed more than 30 search and arrest warrants March 8 and charged 14 people. The defendants include residents of Camden and Gloucester County communities, said the GCPO.

"These actions were the result of a long-term, complex investigation spanning multiple jurisdictions in both Gloucester and Camden Counties, as well as Philadelphia," said Chief Thomas Gilbert with the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office.

Seizures during "Operation Cold Cuts" netted approximately $300,000 in U.S. currency, 14 firearms, 11 vehicles, one motorcycle, four all-terrain vehicles, and "large amounts" of cocaine, marijuana, and hashish rosin according to the GCPO. Officials also seized money counters and financial documents, said Gilbert in a news release.

The people facing charges are:

Louis Rezzetti, 27, Turnersville

• Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine
• Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana
• Complicity to Distribute Cocaine

• Manufacture Transport Weapons
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana
• Possession with Intent to Distribute CDS

Roy Lucas Jr., 28, Deptford

• Possession of Cocaine
• Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine
• Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana

Christopher Molina, 24, Washington Twp.

• Possession of Cocaine
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine
• Possession of Handgun
• Possession of Firearm with CDS

Jesse Carrero, 25, Runnemede

• Possession of Cocaine
• Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine
• Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana
• Possession of an Imitation Firearm

Phillip Carrero, 59, Glendora

• Possession of Methamphetamine

Brett Carrero, 29, Washington Twp.

• Leader of Narcotics Trafficking Network
• Promotion of Organized Street Crime
• Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine
• Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana
• Computer Criminal Activity
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Psilocybin
• Possession of an Imitation Firearm

Alfred Ricci, 25, Washington Twp.

• Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana
• Possession With Intent to Distribute Psilocybin

Ralph Depalma, 49, Winslow

• Possession With Intent to Distribute Marijuana
• Possession of Marijuana

Nicholas Lou, 41, Runnemede

• Possession of Cocaine
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana
• Possession of Firearm While Committing a CDS Offense
• Certain Person Not to Possess a Firearm
• Possession of Imitation Firearm
• Possession of Marijuana

Jesse Schletterer, 41, Runnemede

• Possession of Cocaine
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana
• Possession of Firearm While Committing a CDS Offense
• Certain Person Not to Possess a Firearm
• Possession of Imitation Firearm
• Possession of Marijuana

Laura Carpenter, 38, Gloucester City

• Possession of Cocaine
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana
• Possession of Firearm While Committing a CDS Offense
• Possession of Imitation Firearm
• Possession of Marijuana

Matthew Roldan, 32, Woodbury Hts.

• Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine

Joshua Kristol, 26, Deptford

• Possession with Intent to Distribute Marijuana
• Conspiracy to Distribute Cocaine
• Conspiracy to Distribute Marijuana

John Deluca, 27, Atco

• Possession of Hashish
• Possession with Intent to Distribute Hashish

Local officials conducted the investigation in collaboration with the Liberty-Mid Atlantic High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA) Region, which works to reduce drug trafficking and related violent crime in southern New Jersey, southeastern Pennsylvania, and northern Delaware, said Gilbert. Gloucester County and the prosecutor's office are members, he said.

Acting Gloucester Prosecutor Christine Hoffman thanked local, state, and federal agencies for their assistance in the investigation.

“...Hoffman wants to reinforce that all individuals purchasing illegal and unregulated drugs are making extremely bad and dangerous choices, given the explosive growth in our region of Fentanyl being mixed with other drugs, whether they be vegetation, pills or liquid form," said the prosecutor's office. "The willingness by drug dealers to put others at grave risk for the sake of profit is obvious, given the continual media reports of non-fatal and fatal overdoses linked to Fentanyl intake by unsuspecting buyers. The GCPO will continue its commitment to reducing community trauma brought forth by illegal drug sales by partnering in a multi-phase harm reduction strategy, including prevention, education, and enforcement.”

The number of drug deaths in the county appeared to be dropping from 2021 to 2022, according to preliminary state data.

Gloucester County is 13th out of NJ’s 21 counties in the “State Drug Harm Index,” which is a cumulative ranking based on drug submissions, drug deaths, opioid prescriptions, and naloxone administrations from 2015 through 2021. Read more — Drug Deaths Dropping In Gloucester County This Year, State Data Shows