A confidential informant led West New York police to a man who was illegally in possession of nearly 500 prescription pills at his home, according to a police report of the drug raid.Â
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Fernando Fonseca, whose age was not released, of West New York, was arrested on charges of possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance and possession with intent to distribute within 500 feet of public housing after he was caught red-handed with hundreds of prescription pills, the report says.
Hudson County View exclusively reported on Saturday that a drug raid took place in West New York on Friday, though details were scarce at the time.
On Friday, the West New York Police Department’s Narcotics Unit set up a surveillance on Fonseca’s home at 517 51st Street at about 5 p.m., witnessing Fonseca enter his home at around 5:35, p.m., authorities said.
Then at roughly 6 p.m., detectives apprehended Fonseca on his porch without incident as other detectives entered his second floor apartment, police said.
Inside his apartment, West New York police reported they discovered the following:
332 Endocet pills, a painkiller.
115 Alprazolam pills, an anti-depressant.
30 Acetaminophen pills, a generic painkiller.
15 other unidentified prescription pills.
$360 in cash.
Additionally, Fonseca was carrying $50 on him during the time of his arrest, which was also confiscated by police.
Two West New York police detectives met with a confidential informant on Tuesday, July 7, who “provided reliable information in the past” pertaining to drug dealers, claiming he had inside information about a town resident who was selling drugs similar to Xanax and Percocet on the streets, authorities said.
The informant described “Fernando” as a Hispanic man in his 40’s that had been selling prescription drugs on the street for at least the past five months, officials said.
“We have zero tolerance for crime here in the town of West New York,” Mayor Felix Roque said in a statement.