Leader Of Mercer Drug Trafficking Organization Sentenced To Over 10 Years In Prison

MERCER COUNTY, NJ - A man from Mercer County was sentenced to 130 months in prison for his role as the leader of a Trenton drug-trafficking organization responsible for the distribution of heroin in the area, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said Thursday.

Robert M. Gbanapolor, 36, of Trenton, previously pleaded guilty by videoconference before U.S. District Judge Michael A. Shipp to a superseding indictment charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; one count of possession with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin; and one count of distribution and possession with intent to distribute a detectable amount of heroin.

According to court documents, from June 2018 through May 2019, Gbanapolor and others engaged in a heroin trafficking in the areas of Stuyvesant, Hoffman, and Highland avenues in Trenton, as well as in the area of Barbary Road in Philadelphia, PA.

Gbanapolor obtained regular bulk supplies of heroin from Duane Paulino-Escalera, whom Gbanapolor referred to as “Papi,” authorities said.

Gbanapolor then distributed this heroin for profit to other members of the drug-trafficking organization, who distributed the heroin in and around Trenton, according to court documents.

Paulino-Escalera pleaded guilty and was sentenced on May 7, 2021, to five years in prison.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Shipp sentenced Gbanapolor to four years of supervised release.

According to Sellinger, this case is part of an Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF) operation. OCDETF identifies, disrupts, and dismantles the highest-level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using a prosecutor-led, intelligence-driven, multi-agency approach.

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