8 People Accused Of Running Drug Ring In Newark Neighborhood

NEWARK, NJ — Eight people have been accused of taking part in a ring that sold “large quantities” of illegal drugs at an “open-air narcotics market” in a Newark neighborhood, federal prosecutors announced last week.

The ring allegedly sold heroin, fentanyl and crack-cocaine in the area of Columbia Avenue and South Orange Avenue in Newark, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.

Prosecutors said Zacqual Lancaster, Maurice Lee, Felix Lesperance, Rodger Busby, Marcellus Allen, Jack Jean-Baptiste, Trevon Smith, and Natequah Polk, all of Newark, are each were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin, 40 grams or more of fentanyl, and 28 grams or more of crack cocaine.

Lancaster remains at large, authorities said Friday. The other defendants are in custody and are awaiting court appearances.

Prosecutors released the following statement about the allegations:

“Since January 2022, law enforcement conducted extensive surveillance of an open-air narcotics market in the area of Columbia Avenue and South Orange Avenue, conducted numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, and analyzed telephone records, all of which demonstrated the extensive interactions between and among the conspirators.”

An FBI agent testified that the ring used an apartment building near the intersection as a base of operations to store the drugs, which they sold on the nearby streets.

According to federal prosecutors, the investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), which was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the “sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark.”

The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.

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