December 28, 2001
Trenton,
NJ — Search warrants executed yesterday afternoon by the Mercer County
Prosecutor’s Special Investigations Unit resulted in five arrests and the
seizure of crack cocaine, guns and $11,800 in cash, Prosecutor Daniel G.
Giaquinto announced.
Thaddeus
McNair AKA Ray Ray,
25, of the 600 block of MLK Boulevard, Trenton, was arrested and charged with
two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS), possession
of drug paraphernalia and possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number.
Carl Barnett, 20, and Gregory
Strong Jr., 18, both of the 400 block of Centre Street, Trenton, were
arrested and charged with possession of CDS, possession of CDS with the intent
to distribute, possession of a firearm with a defaced serial number, possession
of a weapon while in the course of committing a CDS offense, and possession of
marijuana under 50 grams.
DeCarlo Moore, 23, and Carlsen
Barnett, 18, also of the Centre
Street address, were arrested and charged with possession of CDS, possession of
CDS with the intent to distribute and possession of marijuana under 50 grams.
The
Special Investigations Unit (SIU), led by Lt. Al Paglione, began an
investigation approximately one month ago following complaints from the
community about cocaine dealing in the area.
At
approximately 3:30 p.m. yesterday afternoon, Paglione and members of the SIU,
with assistance from the West Windsor Police Department, executed search
warrants at the MLK Boulevard and Centre Street addresses.
The five men were arrested without incident inside the Centre Street
residence and one ounce of crack cocaine was seized along with $11,800 in cash,
three semi-automatic weapons, assorted packaging materials, and a small quantity
of Ecstasy and marijuana.
All
five men are being held in the Mercer County Corrections Center in lieu of
$10,000 cash bail.
Despite having been arrested, every defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.