Twenty-Eight Defendants Charged with Narcotics and Firearms Offense for their Roles in Enterprise Associated with the Bloods Street Gang

NEWARK, N.J. – Twenty-six people have been charged for their roles in a drug trafficking organization affiliated with a neighborhood street gang that operated and distributed large quantities of fentanyl, heroin, and crack cocaine in Riverside Villa Public Housing Complex and other areas of Newark, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced. Two additional people were charged for firearms offenses, including their role in a shooting in a rival gang’s territory.

Tahjuan Ferrell, a/k/a “Jers,” Raymon Rodriguez, a/k/a “Ray Ray,” Ricky Colon, Jr., Sayyied Anderson, a/k/a “Sal,” Carnell Wright, a/k/a “Jay,” Briant Haynes, a/k/a “B,” Rashon Wheeler, a/k/a “Petey,” Demetrius Julu, Nero Whitehead, a/k/a “Woo,” Dawud Cross, a/k/a “Mu,” Joseph Johnson, a/k/a “Pearl,” Yusef Mack, a/k/a “Gutter,” Alsharick King, a/k/a “Ghost,” Montrel Jordan, a/k/a “Trillz,” Patrick Jordan, a/k/a “Swerve,” Raheam Springer, Ibn Rogers, Blake Howard, Daniel Valentin, Mekhi Lawrence, a/k/a “MK,” Craig Walker, a/k/a “Lean,” Kevin Wiley, a/k/a “LB,” Quince Melvin, Nakki Melvin, Ricardo Gonzalez, a/k/a “Ricky” and Quadir Simmons a/k/a “Scoom” all of Essex County, New Jersey, were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine.

Quasir Miranda, a/k/a “Space,” and Zakiyy Houser, a/k/a “GBK” are also each charged with unlawful possession of ammunition in a school zone in connection with the February 18, 2025 attempted shooting of a rival gang member.

Several of the defendants have already made initial court appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cari Fais in Newark federal court.  Previously, twenty-five defendants were arrested and made initial court appearances before U.S. Magistrate Judge Jessia S. Allen in Newark federal court and before U.S. Magistrate Judge Natalie Hirt Adams in Tampa, Florida.

The defendants are members or associates of a neighborhood-based street gang operating in and around the Riverside Villa Public Housing Complex, 4th Avenue and North 12th Street, and the Garden Spires Apartments in Newark, New Jersey (the “Enterprise”), among other areas. The Enterprise is affiliated with the Bloods criminal street gang.

Law enforcement conducted extensive surveillance of the area, made numerous controlled purchases and seizures of narcotics, and analyzed telephone records, all of which demonstrated extensive interactions among the defendants.

Those charged in the drug conspiracy face a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years in prison, maximum potential penalty of life in prison, and a $10 million fine.  Miranda and Houser each face up to 5 years in prison for unlawful possession of ammunition in a school zone.

Hundreds of members of law enforcement were instrumental in the investigation and arrests of these defendants. Special Counsel Lamparello credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms under the direction of Special Agent in Charge L.C. Cheeks; the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked police officers and detectives of the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers, under the Director of Field Operations Francis Russo; HSI New York Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Ricky J. Patel; HSI Newark Field Office, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael McCarthy; members of the United Marshals Service, under the direction of U.S. Marshal for the District of New Jersey Juan Mattos; detectives of the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, II and Chief Mitchell G. McGuire, III; police officers and detectives of the East Orange Police Department, under the direction of  Director Maurice Boyd and Chief Phyllis L. Bindi; detectives of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Colonel Patrick J. Callahan police officers and detectives with the Belleville Police Department, under the direction of Chief Mark Minichini; as well as police officers and detectives with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, Union County Prosecutor’s Office, Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, Orange Police Department, Bloomfield Police Department, Jersey City Police Department, Florham Park Police Department, Morristown Police Department, and Ramsey Police Department for their assistance in the apprehension of the members of the Enterprise.

The investigation was conducted as part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (“VCI”).  The Newark VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety for the sole purpose of combatting violent crime in and around Newark.  As part of this partnership, federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborate and pool resources to prosecute violent offenders who endanger the safety of the community.  The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s (DEA) New Jersey Division, Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, New Jersey State Parole, Union County Jail, New Jersey State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, New Jersey Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.

This investigation is part of Operation Take Back America, a nationwide initiative that marshals the full resources of the Department of Justice to repel the invasion of illegal immigration, achieve the total elimination of cartels and transnational criminal organizations (TCOs), and protect our communities from the perpetrators of violent crime. Operation Take Back America streamlines efforts and resources from the Department’s Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN).

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Sean Nadel and Jason Goldberg of the Narcotics and International Trafficking Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel:

Tahjuan Ferrell: Frank P. Arleo, Esq.

Raymon Rodriguez: Rahul Agarwal, Esq.

Sayyied Anderson: Michael Pappa, Esq.

Carnell Wright: Ernesto Cermiele, Esq.

Briant Hanyes: Arthur Paul Condon, Jr., Esq.

Rashon Wheeler: Stephen N. Dratch, Esq.

Demetrius Julu: Laura K. Gasiorowski, Esq.

Nero Whitehead: Charles McKenna, Esq.

Dawud Cross: Michael V. Gilberti, Esq.

Joseph Johnson: Maximillian A. Novel, Esq.

Yusef Mack Michael Rosas, Esq.

Alsharick King: Aidan P. O’Connor, Esq.

Montrel Jordan: James Seplowitz, Esq.

Patrick Jordan: William Strazza, Esq.

Raheam Springer: Mary Toscano Carpenito, Esq.

Ibn Rogers: Stephen Turano, Esq.

Blake Howard: Wanda Akin, Esq.

Daniel Valentin: Adrien Moncur, Esq.

Mekhi Lawrence: John A. Azzarello, Esq.

Craig Walker: Carlos Diaz-Cobo, Esq.

Kevin Wiley: Gary Mizzone, Esq.

Quince Melvin: Alyssa A. Cimino, Esq.

Nakki Melvin: Charles Alvarez, Esq.

Ricardo Gonzalez: Shawn Barnes, Esq.

Quadir Simmons: Lorraine Gauli-Rufo, Esq.

Quasir Miranda: John McMahon, Esq.

Zakiyy Houser: F.R. “Chip” Dunne, III, Esq.