Police: Philadelphia Man Arrested in Deptford Mall Parking Lot Intended to Sell Kilo of Cocaine in A.C.

A Philadelphia man has been charged with multiple counts of drug possession after being arrested in the parking lot of the Deptford Mall with about a kilogram of cocaine worth about $40,000, Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman announced on Monday.

Eduardo Colon-Lopez, 36, allegedly intended to sell the drug in Atlantic City. He was arrested without incident on Saturday.

He was charged with first-degree cocaine possession and first-degree drug possession with intent to distribute cocaine.

He was captured by investigators from state, county and municipal agencies assigned to the Atlantic City Task Force (ACTF) as part of an ongoing investigation into an alleged conspiracy to distribute bulk quantities of cocaine in Atlantic City.

An undercover New Jersey State Police trooper had ingratiated himself to Colon-Lopez, known to investigators as “Papito” over the course of several weeks.

The undercover officer convinced Colon-Lopez to sell him cocaine in the mall parking light in broad daylight.

Colon-Lopez’s bail was set at $250,000. First-degree charges carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in state prison and a criminal fine of up to $200,000.

Hoffman thanked the members of the ACTF that participated in the arrest, including the Division of Criminal Justice, Division of State Police, Department of Homeland Security, Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, Atlantic County Sheriff’s Office, Atlantic City Police Department and the Pleasantville Police Department.