$500K of Cocaine Sent Through US Mail Leads to Guilty Plea In Somerset County

FRANKLIN, NJ — A New Brunswick man pleaded guilty Friday after a total of five kilograms of cocaine, with a street value of $500,000, was found to have been sent through the U.S. Mail to a home in Franklin, Somerset County Prosecutor Michael H. Robertson announced.

Elvin Guzman-Rodriguez, a.k.a. Joel Matos Santiago, 38, of New Brunswick pled guilty to 1st degree possession of five ounces or more of cocaine with intent to distribute and 2nd degree eluding.

In exchange for his guilty plea, before the Honorable Kathy C. Qasim, J.S.C., the State recommended a sentence of 11 years in the New Jersey State Prison with 40 months of parole ineligibility. Elvin Guzman-Rodriguez, a.k.a. Joel Matos Santiago is scheduled to be sentenced on March 31.

Police were given a tip that a package with drugs would be delivered to a North Dover Avenue home in Franklin Township in October 2015.

Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Organized Crime and Narcotics Task Force, along with U.S. Postal Inspection Officers intercepted two packages at the Franklin Township Post Office addressed to a Jessica Rodriguez in Franklin Township.

Somerset County Sheriff’s Office K-9 “Apex” sniffed the outside of both packages and gave a positive indication for drugs being present.

Task Force members then set up a surveillance team around the Dover Avenue home. At around 3:30 p.m. on Oct. 8, 2015 Victor M. Santana-Ricardo and Joel Matos-Santiago were seen outside the home when the postal officer arrived with the packages, police reported.

Matos-Santiago left the area in a black Acura TSX while Santana-Ricardo told the postal worker that he was the husband of Jessica Rodriquez and asked him to put the packages on the front steps of the home, Robertson said.

Santiago-Ricardo then called Matos-Rodriquez on his cell phone and had him return in the Acura. Matos-Rodriquez took the packages and put themin the rear seat area of the Acura when he left the area via Dover Avenue towards Hamilton Street at a high rate of speed, accoriding to the report.

When Task Force Detectives tried to pull him over, Matos-Santiago tried to get away by making evasive maneuvers with his car. During the chase, Matos-Santiago struck a police vehicle on Park Street and was then arrested, police reported.

A search of the car found the two packages in the rear seat containing 5 kilograms of cocaine. The cocaine had an approximate street value of $500,000.

Santana-Ricardo was arrested at the Dover Avenue residence without incident.

Rodriguez was arrested without incident at 5:30 p.m. when she arrived home.

(Image via Morguefile)

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