8 Monmouth County Men Among 14 Arrested In Major Tri-County Heroin-Cocaine Ring- Some Still At Large

Updated by Caitlin Brown

Written by Karen Wall (Patch Staff)

A Neptune man was named as one of the leaders of a large-scale drug ring distributing heroin and cocaine throughout Monmouth, Ocean, and Middlesex counties, 14 members of which were arrested on Thursday, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced Thursday.

Three other Neptune residents, seven Asbury Park residents, two Ocean Township men, and a Red Bank resident are among the 22 defendants in all who have been charged in the complaints unsealed Thursday, Fishman announced. Eric Smith, 42, of Manchester, aka “EV” or “E,” was named as one of the leaders, along with Herve Cadet, 29, of Neptune and Sayreville, aka “Gotti” or “Bro,” he said.

Smith has been incarcerated in New Jersey in connection with state offenses since September, the news release said.

The others named in the complaint with Smith and Cadet were:

• Evens Joseph, aka “Dirty Evan,” aka “De,” 36, Neptune
• Harriel Jean-Baptiste, aka “Harry,” 25, Asbury Park
• Kurtis Barnes, aka “Gotti,” 36, Lakewood
• Charlene Braithwaite-Lovet, aka “Shay,” 40, Asbury Park
• Athena L. Gillis, aka “Shorty,” 28, Asbury Park
• Delovi R. Canales, aka “Butter,” 48, Toms River
• Laurie A. Matthews, 48, Whiting
• Amal J. Blaine, aka “Mal,” 27, Lakewood
• Mackinson Casimir, aka “Scrappy,” 26, Ocean Township
• Reginald Walker, aka “Red,” 45, Red Bank
• Schneider Monestime, 32, Asbury Park
• Marvin T. Brodie, aka “Marv,” 44, Manchester

Charged in the complaint but still at large were:

• Dwight Simon, aka “Break Bread,” 30, Asbury Park
• Noble El-Bey, aka “T,” aka “Terry,” 42, Asbury Park
• Brandon R. Keyes, aka “BK,” 31, Neptune
• Jerrel K. Collins, aka “Fat Boy,” 27, Ocean Township
• Steve Jean-Baptiste, aka “Black,” 29, Asbury Park
• Junior Parcias, aka “Peso,” 28, Neptune

Also named in a separate complaint were Joel Mendez, aka “Joey Mendez,” aka “Crack,” 34, of Bradley Beach, and Alfred Lyons III, aka “Alfie,” 33, of Neptune. They were each charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin. Lyons was arrested but Mendez remains at large.

Each defendant is charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. Those arrested Thursday were scheduled to make their initial court appearances that afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Judge Lois H. Goodman in Trenton federal court.

“The criminal complaints describe drug trafficking operations that have been responsible for sizeable quantities of illegal narcotics on the streets of Asbury Park, Neptune Township, and the surrounding towns,” Fishman said. “We hope and expect that today’s arrests will make a real difference to the drug trafficking trade in these counties. This is not the last that you will hear from us in this fight.”

“This lengthy and collaborative investigation has resulted in the arrests of major suppliers of heroin in the Monmouth and Ocean county areas,” Carl J. Kotowski, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, said. “DEA and its law enforcement partners will continue to investigate those seeking to poison our communities.”