Mother/Son Ran Bayshore Heroin Ring, Cops Say

KEANSBURG, NJ — Thirty two people, including a son and his mother, were arrested in a takedown by the Monmouth County prosecutor's office of a major Bayshore heroin ring. The county prosecutor announced the arrests Monday morning, April 15. And many of those charged with either selling or buying drugs live right here in the Bayshore area, in towns such as Union Beach, Keansburg, Leonardo and Hazlet, police say.

It's no secret that heroin has long plagued the Bayshore, a traditionally working-class area right off the Parkway that hugs Raritan Bay.

“This investigation deals a critical blow to a narcotics trafficking network that has plagued the towns and neighborhoods in the Bayshore region for a long time," said county prosecutor Chris Grammiccioni. "Thanks to the excellent work by this team of investigators, the flow of these deadly drugs into our community has been significantly disrupted."

This ring sold fentanyl-laced heroin on a daily basis to the public at locations throughout the area, he said; the locations where the drugs were sold was not revealed. The network was run from multiple homes and apartments across Monmouth and Ocean counties. When their heroin supply ran low, it was routinely replenished with trips to Newark.

Anthony Distaulo, 33, of Jackson, acted as the leader of this heroin trafficking network, authorities said. Police say he worked with his mother, Mechelle Distaulo, 52, of Brick, to run the drug network. Distaulo is currently behind bars, but police say his mother is at large and is considered a fugitive.

In addition to his mother, police say seven others acted as accomplices and helped him run the network. They are as follows:

Joseph Bartucci, 32, of Keansburg
Kate Ellis, 28, of Jackson;
James Granberg, 42, of Keyport;
Khalil Hill a/k/a “Drama”, 35, of Newark;
Kayleigh Leonard, 30, of Jackson;
Vincent Mielnicki, 39, of Union Beach; and
Matthew Rowland, 34, of Red Bank

The following 23 people were charged purchasing narcotics from the ring:

Brianne Benedetto, 29, of Millstone;
Barbara Bryk, 51, and her husband Randy Bryk, 54, both of the Port Monmouth section of Middletown;
Keith Chanley, 28, of South Amboy;
Matthew Demko, 38, of Keyport;
Nicole Fox, 33, of Keansburg;
Eric Greer, 55, of Morganville;
Kyle Groat, 31, of Middletown;
Ashley Groc, 25, of South Amboy;
Emily Heun, 34, of the Leonardo section of Middletown;
David Isaksen, 42, of Leonardo section of Middletown;
Jacquelin Kelly, 53, of Keansburg;
Veronica Lapsley, 42, of Keansburg;
Sean LaFata, 35, of Keyport;
Brittany Matias, 23, of Port Monmouth section of Middletown;
DebbieJo Mezzacappa, 29, of Leonardo section of Middletown;
Ranya Mobarak, 31, of Hazlet;
Daniel Notaroberto, 32, of Middletown;

Anthony Pane a/k/a “Bug”, 28, of Hazlet;
Anthony Schiano, 30, of Keyport;
Alfred Valli, 54, of Middletown;
Kurt Westendorf, 60, of Keansburg; and
Melissa Whiteman, 30, of Hazlet.

It is estimated that the operation pumped out 20,000 bags of heroin monthly that carried a street value of approximately $200,000 to $400,000.

In all, police seized 3,200 bags of heroin, approximately $12,000 cash, eight vehicles, two motorcycles and one trailer in connection with the ring.