Man Pleads Guilty After 1K Heroin Bricks Found In Somerset Co. Man's Stash House

WATCHUNG, NJ — A Somerset County man admitted to his role in a drug trafficking network after police found 1,000 bricks of heroin in one of his stash houses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced Wednesday.

William T. Bouza, 45, of Watchung, pleaded guilty to conspiracy to distribute heroin and possession of heroin with intent to distribute.

In February 2019, Bouza had arranged for a car with a secret compartment, or "trap," containing 15 kilograms of heroin, to be shipped from California to a location in Union County, according to documents filed in this case and statements made in court.

Police intercepted the vehicle, seized the drugs, and identified Bouza as the intended recipient, said authorities.

In the following months, police found that Bouza was storing and processing drugs for street-level distribution at multiple locations in Essex County, said authorities.

In October 2019, Bouza was apprehended. Police later found more than 1,000 packages, or “bricks” of heroin, each containing about 50 individual doses, in one of Bouza’s stash-houses. In total, law enforcement seized more than 18 kilograms of heroin belonging to Bouza, said authorities.

Bouza faces a maximum penalty of life in prison, a mandatory minimum term of 10 years in prison and a $10 million fine for the controlled substances offenses.

Sentencing is scheduled for Sept. 13.

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