January 16, 2004

DRUG RAID NETS CRACK & CASH  

Trenton, NJ — Mercer County Prosecutor Joseph L. Bocchini Jr. today announced that his office’s Special Investigations Unit (SIU) concluded a two-week investigation with the arrest of one individual and the seizure of $3,660 worth of crack cocaine.

John Barnes, 51, of the first block of Furman Street, was arrested and charged with possession of a controlled dangerous substance, possession with the intent to distribute, possession with the intent to distribute within 1000 feet of a school and possession with the intent to distribute within 500 feet of a park.

            According to Prosecutor Bocchini, the SIU began an investigation into drug activity in the Furman Street area after receiving numerous complaints from residents of the South Ward.

SIU detectives, under the command of Lt. William Straniero, executed search warrants at approximately 3 p.m. Thursday at Barnes’ home.  Officers discovered 266 small Ziploc bags of crack cocaine, $1,900 in cash and an additional 12 grams of crack cocaine waiting to be packaged for individual sale in the upstairs bedroom of the residence.  The drugs have a street value of approximately $3,660.   

Members of the Mercer County Sheriff’s Office, the Princeton Township Police Department, the Trenton Police Department Vice Enforcement Unit and Trenton Animal Control assisted.

Superior Court Judge Charles A. Delehey set bail in the amount of $250,000.  Barnes is 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.