Takedown of Major Fentanyl and Heroin Mill in Irvington, Announced by AG Grewal. Steffany Castillo-Candalari, George Incarnation, Jonathan Perez-Payano, Nelly Ulerio Charged. Article by Tamer.
33 deaths linked to stamps used to brand drugs at Mill Bear
Investigation and Arrests led by NJ State Police Opioid Enforcement Task Force, Law Enforcement Partners, and New jersey Division of Criminal Justice
TRENTON – NJ State Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal today announced the arrests of Steffany Castillo-Candalari, George Incarnation, Jonathan Perez-Payano, Nelly Ulerio in the takedown of a major fentanyl and heroin mill in Irvington, N.J., that distributed its narcotics in wax folds stamped with the same brand names that have been linked to 93 overdoses, including 33 deaths.
Approximately 70,000 individual doses and an additional four kilograms of suspected fentanyl and heroin – with a total street value of over half a million dollars – were seized, along with two handguns and $165,526 in cash.
Investigators seized the following items when they executed a search warrant at the mill location on the second floor of 214 Eastern Parkway, Irvington
over 1,400 bricks (consisting of 50 wax folds each) of suspected heroin/fentanyl, plus hundreds of loose wax folds of heroin/fentanyl (approximate street value of $350,000)
approximately four kilograms of suspected fentanyl or fentanyl mixed with heroin (approximate street value of $200,000)
handgun with large capacity (30-round) magazine
hundreds of empty wax folds
other packaging and milling material including 17 grinders, two kilogram presses, scales, sifters, boxes of tape, mixing agents and other mill paraphernalia
22 rubber ink stamps bearing different brands. Twelve of the brand names on the stamps are the same brands that have been linked to 93 overdoses, including 33 fatal overdoses and 60 non-fatal overdoses.
The arrests were made in an ongoing investigation by the New Jersey State Police Opioid Enforcement Task Force and Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau. They were assisted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, Morris Plains Police, Cliffside Park Police, Nutley Police, Harrison Police, and Newark Police. The New Jersey State Police recently established the Opioid Enforcement Task Force, designed to strategically target heroin and fentanyl sources of supply across the state. In October, the Department of Law & Public Safety, New Jersey State Police, was awarded a $2.8 million grant for this Task Force from the Department of Justice, Office of Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), Anti-Heroin Task Force Program.
“This is another victory for our Opioid Enforcement Task Force and another case where we undoubtedly saved lives by stopping countless doses of fentanyl and heroin from reaching drug users, including doses stamped with the same brand names as drugs linked to 33 deaths,” said Attorney General Grewal. “We will continue to pursue this proactive and collaborative strategy – spearheaded by our new State Police-led task force and the Division of Criminal Justice – to take down drug mills and other major drug sources and choke off the supply line of deadly opioids coming into our communities. I thank all of our task force partners and I commend the investigators who are diligently pursuing all leads to identify major fentanyl and heroin suppliers and bring them to justice.”
The following is the full list of charges filed against those arrested:
George Encarnacion:
– 1st degree Maintaining a Narcotics Production Facility
– 1st degree Possession of Heroin with the Intent to Distribute
– 2nd degree Conspiracy
– 2nd degree Possession of Fentanyl with the Intent to Distribute
– 2nd degree Possession of Firearm While Committing a Drug Offense
– 2nd degree Money Laundering
– 3rd degree Possession of Heroin
– 3rd degree Possession of Fentanyl
– 3rd degree Possession within 1000 feet of Grove Street School
– 4th degree Possession of Large Capacity Magazine
– 4th degree Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Jonathan Perez-Payano:
– 1st degree Maintaining a Narcotics Production Facility
– 1st degree Possession of Heroin with the Intent to Distribute
– 2nd degree Conspiracy
– 2nd degree Possession of Fentanyl with the Intent to Distribute
– 2nd degree Possession of Firearm While Committing a Drug Offense
– 3rd degree Possession of Heroin
– 3rd degree Possession of Fentanyl
– 3rd degree Possession within 1000 feet of Grove Street School
– 3rd degree Receiving Stolen Property (Firearm)
– 3rd degree Money Laundering
– 4th degree Possession of Large Capacity Magazine
– 4th degree Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Nelfy Ulerio:
– 1st degree Maintaining a Narcotics Production Facility
– 1st degree Possession of Heroin with the Intent to Distribute
– 2nd degree Conspiracy
– 2nd degree Possession of Fentanyl with the Intent to Distribute
– 2nd degree Possession of Firearm While Committing a Drug Offense
– 3rd degree Possession of Heroin
– 3rd degree Possession of Fentanyl
– 3rd degree Possession within 1000 feet of Grove Street School
– 4th degree Possession of Large Capacity Magazine
– 4th degree Possession of Drug Paraphernalia
Steffany Castillo-Candalari:
– 2nd degree Conspiracy
– 3rd degree Receiving Stolen Property (Firearm)
– 3rd degree Money Laundering
First-degree charges carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in state prison and a fine of up to $200,000. The first-degree charge of maintaining a narcotics production facility carries a mandatory minimum term without parole equal to one-third to one-half of the sentence imposed and a fine of up to $750,000. Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $150,000, while third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $15,000, or $35,000 for the drug charge. Fourth-degree charges carry a sentence of up to 18 months and a fine of up to $10,000. The charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.
