Wayne Police Help Take Down $1.5M Coke Ring

PASSAIC COUNTY, NJ — A tip the Clifton Police Department received led to eight people being arrested and 66 pounds of cocaine worth $1.5 million, along with $872,000 in cash and nine vehicles being seized, authorities said Wednesday.

Three of the people were charged with various drug possession, conspiracy and distribution and money laundering charges, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia Valdes announced.

The three arrested were:

• Kiuny A. Perez, 40, of Rockaway. He was charged with first-degree money laundering in excess of $500,000 derived from criminal activity, conspiracy to distribute cocaine and distribution of cocaine within 1,000 feet of a school, Valdes said.
• Victor Pimentel, 42, of Parsippany. He was charged with first-degree possession with intent to distribute cocaine in excess of five ounces, second-degree money laundering less than $500,000 more than $75,000 derived from criminal activity and possession of cocaine.
• Narcisco Ramirez, 44, of Passaic. second-degree money laundering, and several counts of cocaine possession and distribution.

Clifton police received a tip in March that there was someone distributing large amounts of cocaine in Passaic and Morris counties. The Clifton Police Department, the Passaic County Prosecutor's Office and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated Pimental, Perez and Ramirez and their buyers for eight months. Wayne Police assisted with the investigation.

As of Wednesday, 30 kilograms of of cocaine, more than $872,000 and nine vehicles were seized, Valdes said. The cocaine has a street value of $1.5 million.

Five buyers were also arrested, processed and released by the Clifton Police Department:

• Gina A. Delcolle Sr., 46, of North Bergen
• Donovan M. McCreary, 46, of West Windsor
• Susan P. Stier, 48, of Secaucus
• William J. Marchioni, 48, of Clifton
• Jerome Driscoll, 56, of Secaucus

The first-degree charges carry a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison upon conviction.

Ramirez and Perez are scheduled for detention hearings Tuesday morning in Passaic County Superior Court.

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Photos, from left: Kuiny Perez, Victor Pimentel and Narcisco Ramirez/Passaic County Prosecutor's Office, background image via Shutterstock