Ken Serrano

@KenSerranoAPP



ASBURY PARK – A drug ring that spanned Monmouth, Ocean and Middlesex counties was smashed Thursday morning by federal, state and local law enforcement officers, yielding 14 arrests, prosecutors said.

Using brand names stamped on glassine envelopes such as Hurricane Sandy, Poland Spring Water, Flying High and Final Game, two drug gangs distributed thousands of bricks of heroin on the streets of Monmouth and Ocean counties each month. A brick, about a gram, amounts to 50 small packets of heroin. The ring took in a six-figure monthly income, said U.S. Attorney, Paul J. Fishman.

Twenty of the 22 have been charged federally with conspiracy to distribute more than a kilogram of heroin, a charge that carries a mandatory minimum term of 10 years and a maximum of life in prison for those convicted. The other two are charged with conspiracy to distribute "a quantity mixture and substance containing a detectable amount of heroin," a charge that carries a prison term of up to 20 years.

Drugs linked to death of Shore mayor's son

The drug deals mostly occurred in Asbury Park and Neptune, with most of the transactions taking place on the street and in cars. All the defendants are from the Shore. Some of the activity of the ring occurred in Middlesex County, authorities said.

The ring also sold crack cocaine, authorities said.

Leaders to dealers

Fishman said the roundup of defendants included everyone from the leaders of the larger gang down to the street level dealers.

The men accused of being kingpins of the conspiracy are Herve Cadet, also known as "Gotti" or "Bro," 29, of Neptune and Sayreville and Eric Smith, also known as "EV" or "E," 42, of Manchester.

Smith has been locked up on other charges since September.

Joel "Crack" Mendez, 34, of Bradley Beach and Alfred "Alfie" Lyons III, 33, of Neptune, were charged separately with the lesser conspiracy count. Seven of the 22 people charged remained at large Thursday afternoon, including Mendez.

In the months-long investigation authorities used wiretaps and undercover drug buys to bring down the ring, Fishman said.

Related: Ten arrested in sweep of marijuana ring in Ocean and Monmouth counties, authorities say

Intercepted phone calls

The intercepted phone calls involved "discussions about quality control, customer satisfaction and branding – the kinds of conversations you might hear from other savvy people running a business," Fishman said. "But they weren't talking about consumer goods, they were talking about illegal drugs."

During one tapped phone call, Cadet encouraged another defendant named in the complaint but not charged, Clara Crawley, to cut and package heroin in her home with her children nearby, according to the complaint.

"I can't do it upstairs in front of the kids," Crawley told Cadet, according to the complaint.

"Nah, they ain't even gonna know nothing about that," Cadet replied, according to the complaint. "Trust me, they ain't gonna know nothing. You know when they know? ... They get into middle school."

The alleged ring members who were arrested had their first appearance Thursday in U.S. District Court, Trenton.

The names of attorneys for the accused were not immediately available.

Ken Serrano: 732-643-4029; kserrano@njpressmedia.com

CHARGED IN THE DRUG RING

The following people have each been charged by federal prosecutors with one count of conspiracy to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.

• Herve Cadet, a/k/a "Gotti," a/k/a "Bro," 29, Neptune and Sayreville

• Eric Smith, a/k/a "EV," a/k/a "E,"42, Manchester

• *Dwight Simon, a/k/a "Break Bread," 30, Asbury Park

• *Noble El-Bey, a/k/a "T," a/k/a "Terry," 42, Asbury Park

• Evens Joseph, a/k/a "Dirty Evan," a/k/a "De," 36, Neptune

• *Steve Jean-Baptiste, a/k/a "Black," 29, Asbury Park

• Harriel Jean-Baptiste, a/k/a "Harry," 25, Asbury Park

• *Junior Parcias, a/k/a "Peso," 28, Neptune

• Kurtis Barnes, a/k/a "Gotti," 36, Lakewood

• Charlene Braithwaite-Lovet, a/k/a "Shay," 40, Asbury Park

• Athena L. Gillis, a/k/a "Shorty," 28, Asbury Park

• *Jerrel K. Collins, a/k/a "Fat Boy," 27, Ocean Township

• Delovi R. Canales, a/k/a "Butter," 48, Toms River

• Laurie A. Matthews, 48, Manchester

• Amal J. Blaine, a/k/a "Mal," 27, Lakewood

• Mackinson Casimir, a/k/a "Scrappy," 26, Ocean Township

• Reginald Walker, a/k/a "Red," 45, Red Bank

• *Brandon R. Keyes, a/k/a "BK," 31, Neptune

• Schneider Monestime, 32, Asbury Park

• Marvin T. Brodie, a/k/a "Marv," 44, Manchester

• Joel Mendez a/k/a "Joey Mendez," or "Crack" 34, of Bradley Beach

• Alfred Lyons III, a/k/a "Alfie," 33, of Neptune

* Denotes a defendant still at large