February 6, 2004

SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS UNIT ARRESTS FOUR,
SEIZES $100,000 IN POWDER COCAINE 

Trenton, NJ — Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph L. Bocchini Jr. announced that his office’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU), under the command of Lt. Bill Straniero, seized a kilo of powder cocaine, three vehicles, cash and numerous phony identification cards.

            According to Prosecutor Bocchini, the SIU began an investigation after receiving information that Guatemalan males were in possession of a large quantity of powder cocaine and trying to unload it.  Detectives learned that the suspects were trying to conduct a large drug transaction sometime Thursday afternoon. 

At approximately 3:45 p.m. Thursday afternoon, at the corner of Olden and Hamilton avenues, Edgar Orellana, 32, of the 1400 block of Nottingham Way, Hamilton, Marlon Osbaldo Gonzalez, 20, of the first block of Witherspoon Street, Princeton, and Hector Perez, 40, of the 400 block of Ardmore Avenue, were arrested and charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance (3^rd degree), possession with the intent to distribute (1^st degree), possession with the intent to distribute within 1000 feet of a school (3^rd degree) and possession with the intent to distribute within 500 feet of a park (2^nd degree).

            Straniero described the defendants as “very savvy” in that they used Perez, positioned across the street in a red Chevrolet Cavalier, as reconnaissance and counter-surveillance, while the drug transaction took place.

Three vehicles were seized, including the Cavalier, a green Ford Escort and a red Isuzu Trooper, and 526 grams of powder cocaine were found in the Escort along with a digital scale.

Officers then executed search warrants at 417 Ardmore Avenue, 2^nd floor apartment, and seized an additional 474 grams of powder cocaine, packaged in individual bags, $650 in cash, and numerous fake photo identification cards.  Among the fake id cards were blank Social Security cards, insurance cards, resident alien identification cards, Guatemalan driver’s licenses and photo id cards.  Officers also seized some fake ids that were laminated for unknown individuals, a laminator, a computer, a paper cutter and a copier printer.

Jorge Jose Orellana, 30, was arrested at the Ardmore Avenue address and charged with various narcotic offenses, some first degree, as well as false government document production. 

Bocchini stated that the drugs seized, totaling a kilo, have a street value of approximately $100,000. 

Members of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, the Lawrence and Princeton Township Police Departments, and the Trenton Police Department Vice Enforcement Unit and assisted in the investigation.

Superior Court Judge Charles A. Delehey set bail in the amount of $500,000 for Gonzalez and both of the Orellanas.  Bail for Perez was set at $100,000.  All four are being held at the Mercer County Correction Center.

Despite having been charged, every defendant is presumed innocent until found guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.