5 Guns Seized, 4 Men Charged In Lakewood Drug Arrests: Police

LAKEWOOD, NJ — Lakewood police seized five guns in six-day stretch during narcotics investigations that led to the arrests of four people, police said Wednesday.

Tony Olden, 33, of Barnegat; Shawn Craighead, 32, of Lakewood; Razuan Russell, 19, of Jackson, and Brando Tucker, 46, of Lakewood, all were arrested between Aug. 6 and Aug. 12, Capt. Gregory Staffordsmith said.

Craighead, Russell and Tucker all remained in the Ocean County Jail as of Wednesday.

Olden and Craighead were arrested Aug. 6 when Lakewood detectives executed search warrants at a Coventry Drive home and one on Paris Court following a narcotics investigation over several months, Staffordsmith said. An unspecified amount of narcotics and three handguns were seized, he said.

Olden was charged with maintaining a CDS production facility; possession of CDS; possession of CDS with intent to distribute; possession of a firearm during a CDS offense; possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose; certain persons not to possess a firearm; unlawful possession of a weapon; possession of prohibited ammunition and distribution of CDS within 500 feet of a public playground.

Craighead was charged with the unlawful possession of a weapon; certain persons not to possess a firearm, and possession of marijuana under 50 grams.

On Aug. 11, detectives from the Lakewood Police Department's Street Crimes Unit approached an individual who they believed was acting suspiciously near the Pinewood Apartment complex off Kennedy Boulevard. While speaking with the man, identified as Russell, the detectives learned enough information to have a K9 trained in narcotics detection brought in. The K9 gave a positive alert to a bag Russell had and it was searched, with the search turning up about 100 grams of marijuana and a loaded .45-caliber handgun.

Russell was arrested and charged with the possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, possession of a firearm during a CDS offense. possession of CDS with the intent to distribute and possession of CDS.

On Aug. 12, Officers Joseph Przewoznik and Anthony Caraballo were flagged down by a concerned citizen near the NJ Transit bus terminal about a man the citizen felt was acting suspiciously. Przewoznik and Caraballo watched the man, identified as Tucker, and believed he was selling drugs in the area of Madison Avenue and First Street from his vehicle.

They brought in a K9 who then gave a positive alert for the presence of drugs and the vehicle was searched. The search uncovered heroin and a shotgun, and Tucker was charged with the possession of CDS, the possession of CDS with the intent to distribute, distribution of CDS in a school zone and several weapon offenses, Staffordsmith said.