The Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force seized nearly $1 million in marijuana during a drug bust at the end of last year, Prosecutor Esther Suarez announced.Â
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
On December 27th, following a brief investigation, members of the Hudson County
Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force and the Homeland Security Investigations – Newark Office – arrested a Maplewood man for possession and possession with the intent to distribute marijuana and marijuana wax in the City of Orange, Suarez said in a statement.
NTF Officers arrested Dave Eliassaint, 30, of Maplewood, after recovering a crate in his
possession that contained more than 380 pounds of high-grade marijuana, officials said.
Subsequent search warrants resulted in the seizure of more than 20 pounds of marijuana wax, vape cartridges containing liquid THC, scales, equipment utilized to convert raw marijuana into liquid and the packaging materials utilized for reselling controlled dangerous substances, police said.
The total street value of the CDS that was seized is approximately $1,000,000. As a result, Eliassaint has been charged with possession with the intent to distribute marijuana, possession of marijuana, possession with the intent to distribute marijuana within 500 feet of a park and possession with the intent to distribute marijuana within 1,000 feet of a school, authorities said.
In addition to the NTF Officers, Suarez credited the Homeland Security Investigations – Newark Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for assisting in the searches and the arrest.
The Hudson County prosecutor’s office FORBIDS police departments from furnishing the media with mugshots or information about crimes, the HC Prosecutor’s policy is that only they, the prosecutor’s office, can do this. There is no law about this, it is simply the policy of the bullying Hudson County Prosecutor’s office. And the media outlets don’t register even a whisper of complaint about this over fear of reprisal from the the Hudson County prosecutor’s office. It’s ridiculous. The Police or Sheriff’s department makes the arrest, yet the public is denied knowing about it because of the HC Prosecutor’s office media policy. Only when the HC Prosecutor’s office can milk it for media attention and congratulate themselves is it fed to the media. Sadly, the NJ news outlets like this one all go along in lock step with this policy dictated at the whim of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s office.