Man Allegedly Stole Car From Shrewsbury, Ran Mobile Heroin Mill

SHREWSBURY, NJ - The New Jersey State Police have dismantled a mobile heroin processing mill and arrested an Essex County man as a result of an investigation that led to the seizure of heroin stamped with brands that have been linked to separate 15 overdoses in the state.

Marlon Lopez, 26, of Elizabeth, was arrested on March 29 during a state police Motor Vehicles Crimes North Unit investigation in a hotel parking lot after detectives discovered a parked Dodge Durango with a fictitious New Jersey temporary license plate. Further investigation revealed that the vehicle had an illegally modified vehicle identification number and was reported stolen out of Shrewsbury.

Detectives soon after linked the vehicle to Lopez, who was staying in a room at the hotel. Detectives approached Lopez, in possession of 14 grams of heroin, marijuana, and $2,630 cash, and arrested him without incident.

Marlon Lopez was charged with maintaining a heroin production facility, possession of heroin, possession of marijuana, possession of heroin and marijuana with the intent to distribute, possession of CDS paraphernalia and receiving stolen property.

The investigation was conducted by state police detectives alongside members of the Paramus Police Department, Warren Township Police Department, Bernards Township Police Department, Middletown Township Police Department, Westfield Township Police Department, and the New Jersey Division of Criminal Justice.

“Based on information garnered from the investigation, detectives determined that Lopez was operating a mobile heroin mill out of the hotel room and that he was able to quickly mobilize the entire operation from room to room and to different locations altogether,” state police wrote in a news release.

“Later that same day, troopers along with members of the Opioid Enforcement Task Force executed a search warrant at the hotel room. As a result of the search, detectives seized 145 bricks of heroin, 80 grams of raw heroin, 3 pounds of marijuana, narcotics packaging materials, and several different stamps used to brand packaged narcotics.”

Several of the stamps - which are used by drug traffickers to market their “brand” of drug - have been linked to four suspected fatal overdoses and 11 suspected non-fatal overdoses in New Jersey.

Lopez is currently lodged at the Essex County Jail pending a detention hearing.