Over $1M In Heroin Seized In Mercer County Drug Bust: Prosecutor

MERCER COUNTY, NJ — Three people were charged and more than $1 million in heroin was seized in Mercer County, Prosecutor Angelo J. Onofri said Wednesday.

The bust came after a three-month investigation into drug distribution in the Trenton area. Authorities seized 2,200 bricks (110,000 glassine bags) of heroin, the largest pre-packaged heroin seizure in Mercer County history, Onofri said. Detectives also seized $50,000 in cocaine during the investigation.

According to Onofri, the total street value of the confiscated drugs is $1,150,000.

Andrew Coates, 37, of Trenton, was charged with numerous first-degree narcotic-related offenses and lodged at the Mercer County Correction Center. The prosecutor’s office has filed a motion to detain him pending trial. Carmen Campbell, 60, of Trenton, was charged with numerous first-degree narcotics-related offenses, aggravated assault on police and eluding. She was lodged at the Mercer County Correction Center. Bridgett Coates, 54, of Trenton, was charged with numerous first-degree narcotics-related offenses and lodged at the Mercer County Correction Center.

On Monday, Dec. 13, 2021, as part of an ongoing investigation, members of the Mercer County Narcotics Task Force were conducting surveillance of Andrew Coates at his residence on Bellevue Avenue in Trenton.

During the surveillance, detectives saw Coates and an individual identified as Carmen Campbell enter a silver Nissan Altima and depart the area. Officers followed the vehicle to an Asian supermarket on St. Vincent Street in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and park in the lot, Onofri said. Coates was seen exiting the car, retrieving a weighted bag from the trunk, and enter an unknown vehicle with the bag. Minutes later, another unknown person exits another vehicle, retrieves three weighted bags and places them in the trunk of the Altima, Onofri said.

Coates then re-entered the passenger side of the Altima. His car then departed the area and officers followed it directly to the area of Parkside and Parkway avenues in Trenton, authorities said.

Once in Trenton, detectives attempted to conduct a motor vehicle stop. While officers were exiting their vehicle, Campbell, who was the driver, attempted to flee, authorities said. While doing so, Campbell struck a civilian vehicle and a Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office vehicle, causing damage to all three vehicles, Onofri said.

While attempting to flee, the Altima ran over the foot of a MCPO detective and struck his side, authorities said. Detectives were able to stop the vehicle, and no injuries were sustained by any officers or civilians, Onofri said.

MCPO Detective Tom Paglione used his narcotic K9 Indy, to conduct an exterior sniff of the Nissan Altima. Indy was alerted to the scent of narcotics in the trunk of the vehicle. A search of the vehicle revealed the 2,200 bricks of heroin, Onofri said.

Search warrants were also executed at multiple locations in Trenton. At Coates’ Bellevue Avenue residence, Indy sniffed out a plastic trunk in the basement and a shopping bag containing clothes buried underneath several bags of clothes in the garage. A search of both items revealed 250 grams of cocaine in the plastic trunk and an additional 250 grams of cocaine in the shopping bag in the garage, Onofri said.

Officers also found $1,748 in cash, several rounds of various ammunition, and two Sig Sauer gun magazines loaded with 9mm ammunition at the Bellevue Avenue address. Coates’ mother, Bridgett Coates, was at the residence at the time of the search and was taken into custody on a Homeland Security Investigations warrant for several narcotic offenses in California.

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