Police looking for suspects following major NJ drug bust

⚫ Cops say drugs were being funneled to Monmouth County from Somerset and Passaic counties

⚫ A search warrant allegedly uncovered an active fentanyl mill

⚫ 17 suspects have been arrested, authorities are looking for 5 more

Authorities are still on the hunt for a number of individuals who allegedly had a hand in running a widespread narcotics network.

The Monmouth County Prosecutor's Office on Monday announced 17 arrests and the seizure of drugs worth hundreds of thousands of dollars, following an eight-month investigation. But officials are still looking for five suspects.

The investigation culminated with the execution of search warrants in May at two locations in Paterson, which uncovered an "active and fully functional fentanyl mill," according to authorities. Two Paterson residents — Pedro Torres-Rivera and Manuel Dejesus-Polanco — were actively packing drugs at the time of their arrests, the prosecutor's office said.

Officials say that drugs were being funneled into Monmouth County from Somerset and Passaic counties, by Yusef Kearney, of Somerset, and Gerson Villeda Fajardo, of Paterson. Kearney was arrested in April, while in possession of about 300 grams of cocaine, authorities said.

It's alleged that Kearney was supplying drugs to Kaileem Davis, of Tinton Falls, and Tyking Pugh, of Ocean, and that Pugh was supplying narcotics to Sammie Boynton, of Middletown. The drugs then continued to filter across Monmouth County.

Search warrants also were executed in May at stash houses in Long Branch and Neptune Township. Across the busts, officers seized approximately 450 grams of fentantyl, 325 grams of cocaine, Xanax pills, 6 pounds of marijuana, more than $27,000 in cash, and drug paraphernalia, the prosecutor's office said.

"The arrests and seizures being announced today mark the end result of a herculean investigative effort involving innumerable moving parts, all seamlessly coordinated with the help of more than two dozen other law enforcement agencies," said Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago. "A criminal enterprise that has been poisoning our neighborhoods for the better part of a decade has been thoroughly dismantled, and I cannot commend enough, all of the dedicated men and women whose inexhaustible tenacity and commitment to collaboration have made that possible."

According to the Monday announcement, the following individuals have been charged but not yet apprehended.

Jeffrey Wells, 33, of Tinton Falls

Suzette Depolmo, 34, of Atlantic Highlands

Christopher Johnson, 43, of Keansburg

Ronald Remp, 44, of Keansburg

Rasheen Yarbrough, 45, of Tinton Falls

The following individuals were taken into custody and charged:

Kurtis Barnes, 45, of Atlantic City

Yusef Kearney, 48, of North Plainfield

Gerson Villeda Farjado, 47, Paterson

Pedro Torres-Rivera, 54, of Paterson

Manuel Dejesus Polanco, 54, of Paterson

Kaileem Davis, 47, of Tinton Falls

Tyking Pugh, 26, of Ocean Township

Sammie Boynton, 44, of Middletown

Saeed Wilson, 47, of Long Branch

Algieron Pines, 29, of Middletown

Darrah Bacy, 35, of Tinton Falls

Marcus Carter, 38, of Eatontown

Jerome Geathers, 45, of Howell

Robert Diakow, 46, of Middletown

Deborah Bost, 50, of Hazlet

Allison Waltsak, 51, of Tinton Falls

Geoffrey Melvin, 74, of Neptune Township

Jason Remp, 40, of Keansburg

Report a correction 👈 | 👉 Contact our newsroom