JAN. 19, 2000
TRENTON
– Two city men were arrested on drug charges and about $7,000 worth of heroin
was seized today stemming from a one-month investigation into alleged heroin
trafficking in the North Ward, Mercer County Prosecutor Daniel G. Giaquinto
announced.
Members
of the Mercer County Narcotics Task Force, led by the Special Investigations
Unit (SIU) of the prosecutor’s office, conducted simultaneous raids at about
10 a.m. in the 800 block of East State Street and the 100 block of Locust
Street.
Officers
seized a combined total of about 350 $20 baggies of suspected heroin.
Arrested
in the Locust Street raid was Antonio “Trebby” Valpais (DOB 9/17/72), who
lives at that address. Officers seized about 72 $20 baggies of suspected heroin
from the residence and a .22-caliber rifle, Giaquinto said.
A
second suspect, Robert “Ra Ra” Medina (DOB 1/8/77), who also lives at the
Locust Street address that was raided, was arrested by officers at a fast-food
restaurant in the 2600 block of South Broad Street, Giaquinto said. Medina
allegedly had about 50 $20 baggies of suspected heroin in his possession upon
arrest.
Lt.
Al Paglione, who heads SIU, said that the remainder of the heroin was seized
from the East State Street residence, which he alleged had been utilized by the
duo as the “stash house.”
Paglione
called the men “high level heroin dealers.”
The
Mercer County Narcotics Task Force is comprised of members of SIU and officers
from the Trenton Vice Enforcement Unit and officers from Trenton, West Windsor,
Lawrence and Hamilton police patrol squads.
A
task force member from Trenton’s patrol division launched the investigation
leading to today’s arrests after receiving a tip from the Mercer County
Prosecutor’s Office Drug Tip Hotline, Giaquinto said.
“As
a result of the cooperation from the Mercer County Chiefs of Police Association
which has furnished our task force with police members, these types of
successful investigations will continue,” Giaquinto said. “Once again, the
drug tip hotline has proven to be an effective tool and we thank the public for
its cooperation.”
Valpais
was charged with five second-degree counts of possession of a controlled
dangerous substance and possession with intent to distribute and three
second-degree counts of possession with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet
of a school zone and distribution within 1,000 feet of a school zone.
Medina
was charged with three second-degree counts of possession of a controlled
dangerous substance, possession with intent to distribute and distribution.
The
drug tip hotline can be reached at (609) 989-6411.