Lakewood Man Among 7 Charged In 3-Part Heroin Raid: Police

BERKELEY TOWNSHIP, NJ -- A Lakewood man was arrested Tuesday during a raid at a Berkeley Township home in connection with opioid distribution that authorities allege is linked to a number of overdoses in the area, Berkeley Township police said Tuesday.

Joseph E. Collins, 41, of Lakewood, is being held at the Ocean County Jail, Toms River, on charges of conspiracy to possess heroin and possession with the intent to distribute, and possession of under 50 grams of marijuana, Berkeley Police Chief Karin DiMichele said.

The Tuesday raid at an apartment in the Shar-A-Dee Apartments on Frederick Drive in Bayville resulted in the seizure of more than 500 wax folds of heroin and drug paraphernalia, she said.

Arrested during the apartment raid were Lorraine Walters, 58, of Frederick Drive; Shadava Robertson, 33, of Frederick Drive; and Kyle Pianetti, 26, of Lacey, DiMichele said.

Walters and Robertson each were charged with possession with the intent to distribute heroin, possession with the intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public housing complex and possession of heroin and are being held at the Ocean County Jail, Toms River. Pianetti was charged with possession of heroin and also is being held at the Ocean County Jail.

Frederick Meyers, 51, of Brick, and Collins, 41, of Lakewood, both were arrested at the apartment and charged with conspiracy to possess heroin and possession with the intent to distribute. Meyers was released on a summons under the New Jersey's bail reform act statutes.

DiMichele said the early morning raid at the apartment complex came on the heels of a search warrant-based motor vehicle stop that happened on Route 9 in Bayville on Aug. 23.

Joseph Munger, 37, and Courtney Hrynyk, 34, both of Serpentine Drive, were arrested following what DiMichele said was a "high-risk" motor vehicle stop conducted by uniformed and plainclothes police and detectives on a green Kia. The car was searched and impounded, then police executed a search warrant at a Serpentine Drive residence and found multiple wax folds of heroin, prescription drugs and drug paraphernalia.

All of the heroin was sealed and sent for testing due to the risk of unintentional exposure to fentanyl and the danger that poses, DiMichele said.

Munger and Hrynyk both were charged with possession of heroin and possession with intent to distribute prescription pills, and released under the bail reform act.

"The subjects arrested on Frederick Drive are considered primary suppliers for the immediate area, Frederick Drive and the adjacent Route 9 corridor, which are considered a hub of heroin distribution and is in close proximity to several of the involved jurisdictions," DiMichele said.

The lead investigators on this case are Berkeley Detective Michael O'Connor and Toms River Detective Andy Chencharik. They were assisted by Berkeley officers Detective Lt. Peter La Rocca, Sgt. Joseph Robertazzi, Detective Michael Riccardelli, Detective William Somers, Detective Joseph Santoro; Ocean Gate Sgt. Vincent La Rocca, members of the Toms River SET Team, the Lacey Township Detective Bureau, the Ocean County Regional SWAT Team and the Ocean County Sheriff's Department K-9 Unit, DiMichele said.

Photo by Renee Schiavone, Patch staff