Middlesex County Residents Maintained Drug Production Facility, Indictment Says

Three Bayshore men, along with an East Orange man, are accused of being the leaders of a drug network that operated in Monmouth and Middlesex counties, authorities say.

They are among the 20 people named in a 136-count indictment handed up a grand jury, authorities said.

Those four defendants are facing the most serious charges: they face the possibility of life in prison if convicted of being the leaders of a drug trafficking network.

According to to a news release from the acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni:

The defendants are charged in connection with a 10-month investigation into the flow of heroin into the Bayshore area. Because many of the defendants are related to each other, the investigation was dubbed “Operation Family Tide.”

Most of the defendants were arrested in May.

Investigators determined heroin was being sold almost daily, in various locations, primarily in the Cliffwood section of Aberdeen.

The members of the ring obtained “raw” or unpackaged, undiluted heroin, then recruited others to package it for sale.

Powder and crack cocaine was also sold. Heroin and cocaine was processed and packaged for sale in Woodbridge and Perth Amboy apartments.

Gregory “IA” Moore, 34; Terrence “T9” Brown, 38; Edward “Head” Gutridge, II, 30, all of the Cliffwood section of Aberdeen; and Halee Wing, 37, of East Orange, are charged with being Leaders of a Narcotics Trafficking Network.

They are also facing charges of second-degree Conspiracy, first- and second-degree Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substance with Intent to Distribute and first and second-degree Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance.

Seven other defendants, Isaiah “Zeke” Edwards, 25, of Old Bridge; Raymond “Hood” Jackson, 30, of Keyport; Bianca Edwards, 22, of Old Bridge; Joseph “Rule” Jackson Jr., 44, of Matawan, Krystal Mell, 26, of Keansburg, Alina Alma, 24, of New York City and James “King James” Hemenway, 37, of Woodbridge, are named as co-conspirators with the four men.

Those seven acted as accomplices in efforts to distribute heroin and cocaine.

All 11 defendants are charged with second degree Conspiracy, first- and second-degree Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substance with Intent to Distribute and first- and second-degree Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance.

Brown, Isaiah Edwards, Gutridge, Raymond Jackson, Mell and Joseph Jackson, Jr. also face additional charges connected to drug distribution. Gutridge and Jessica German, 21, of New York City, were each charged with third-degree Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance.

Gutridge, Wing, Alma, and Timothy Davidson, 38, of Old Bridge, are each charged with first-degree Maintaining or Operating a Controlled Dangerous Substance Production Facility and second-degree Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substances with Intent to Distribute in connection with the apartment in Perth Amboy.

Hemenway is charged with first-degree Maintaining or Operating a Controlled Dangerous Substance Production Facility and first-degree Possession of Controlled Dangerous Substances with Intent to Distribute in connection with the apartment in Woodbridge.

People who bought drugs were also indicted:

Ryan Murphy, 26, and Taheem Brown, 22, of the Cliffwood section of Aberdeen; Jason Remp, 21, of Hazlet, James Mitchell, 57, Shannon Lecomte, 21, Denise Giuriceo, 41, of Keansburg and Christine Owens, 44, of the West Keansburg section of Hazlet who were each charged with third-degree Conspiracy to Possess a Controlled Dangerous Substance and third-degree Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance.

Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Merlin K. Thomas is handling the state’s case.

Upon conviction, the offenses carry the following prison terms:

• Being the leader of a drug network: up to life in prison
• The other first-degree offenses: 10- to 20-years
• Second degree offenses: 5- to 10-years
• Third degree offenses: 3- to 5-years*
• Fourth-degree offenses: up to 18-months*

*There is a presumption of probation for first-time offenders.