A U.S. Postal Service worker is among three busted in a West New York cocaine ring following a months-long Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
James Belardo, 41, of West New York, was arrested without incident on March 15th at the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in Secaucus.
Belardo, a USPS employee, has been charged with conspiracy to distribute (cocaine) in a quantity greater than one half ounce, a second-degree crime. He was released pending his first court appearance which is tentatively scheduled for March 29th.
Two codefendants, Rowaldi Caceres, 39, and Hilda Membreno, 29, both of West New York, were previously arrested.
On Sunday, February 26th, members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force executed a court-authorized search warrant for an apartment shared by Caceres and Membreno.
The subsequent search resulted in the recovery of more than one kilogram of cocaine – with the street value of approximately $35,000 – a handgun, three large capacity magazines, and approximately $30,000, suspected proceeds from narcotics transactions. Caceres and Membreno were arrested at the scene.
The following day, a court-authorized search warrant of Caceres’ car was executed. The search resulted in the recovery of hollow point bullets and a second handgun.
Suarez credited the HCPO Narcotics Task Force, the United States Postal Inspection Service, and the United States Postal Service Office of the Inspector General with the investigation and arrest.
