A sixth man was arrested for selling cocaine at a now closed Jersey City deli, about four-and-half month after the initial arrests were made, Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Yesterday, members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Gang Task Force arrested a sixth individual relating to an ongoing narcotics investigation involving a storefront at 156 Martin Luther King Drive, Suarez said in a statement.
Jamari Champagne, 20, of Jersey City, is charged with two counts of conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, two counts of conspiracy to distribute a CDS within 1,000 feet of a school, and two counts of conspiracy to distribute a CDS within 500 feet of public property.
He was arrested outside the storefront and found to be in possession of over 100 glassine envelopes of suspected heroin.
Champagne was additionally charged with possession with the intent to distribute (heroin), possession with the intent to distribute (heroin) within 1,000 feet of a school, and possession with the intent to distribute (heroin) within 500 feet of public property.
He was transported to the Hudson County Correctional Facility pending his first court appearance.
On Wednesday, February 5th, the gang task force, with assistance from Hudson County Regional SWAT, the Jersey City Police Department, and the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, conducted a court-authorized search of Kaelyn Deli and Grocery.
During the search, investigators recovered various quantities of suspected cocaine, heroin, drug paraphernalia, and money in various locations throughout the storefront.
As a result, five individuals were charged with various narcotics offenses, including conspiracy and distribution:
• Donte Carlisle, 32, Marc Jeune, 19, and Elvin Borbon, 32, all of Jersey City, were arrested on Wednesday, February 5th.
• Rodney Chappel, 38, of Jersey City was arrested on Tuesday, February 11th.
• Aliquan Hatten, 38, of Jersey City, was arrested on Tuesday, February 18th.
At the time the court-authorized search of the storefront was conducted, the Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services issued the store’s owner multiple citations for violating city health codes.
Let’s get it straight! There is no heroin. It’s all fentanyl!!! Fentanyl and tranq, that causes the flesh eating disease. Heroin never did what fentanyl is doing. No self respecting heroin addict uses fentanyl.