N.J. Postal Worker Set Up Cocaine Deliveries While Homeowners Vacationed: Prosecutor

ESSEX COUNTY, NJ — Essex County authorities charged a 22-year-old Newark woman with first-degree narcotics violations after she allegedly made arrangements to have large packages of cocaine delivered to several homes in Short Hills while employed as a U.S. Postal Service delivery person, prosecutors announced Thursday.

According to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, Amanda Cruz, 22, of Newark, has been arrested and charged with two counts of first-degree possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and related conspiracy offenses.

Prosecutors allege that during June of 2016, Cruz entered into an agreement to smuggle cocaine internationally from Puerto Rico to the United States. According to prosecutors, Cruz - who was working as a United States Postal delivery person at the time - made arrangements to have kilograms of cocaine delivered via the U.S. Postal Service to multiple addresses in Short Hills when she believed the residents were on vacation.

Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray commended the Millburn Police Department and the United States Postal Inspection Service for their “outstanding work in investigating this case.”

• See related article: $500K of Cocaine Sent Through US Mail Leads to Guilty Plea In N.J.
• See related article: NJ Man Gets 3 Years For Trafficking Cocaine

Photo: Flickr Commons