Two Newark NJ sanitation workers were fired after being placed under arrest and charged with heroin possession.
Newark law enforcement arrested the men on a city street around midnight. According to officials, the two suspects were caught in possession of a large quantity of heroin as they drove around Newark NJ late at night.
Newark Special Enforcement Bureau detectives allegedly observed the suspects traveling in a Dodge Charger and speeding on 15th Avenue.
Police officers stopped the vehicle and talked to the driver. While speaking with the driver and observing the passenger, law enforcement became suspicious. Newark NJ police later searched the suspects’ car and allegedly discovered a large amount of illegal narcotics: 256 decks of heroin.
The suspects, a 35-year-old Newark man and a 23-year-old Newark man, were arrested and charged with numerous drug crimes, including possession of heroin and possession of drugs in a motor vehicle.
The suspect said to be driving the motor vehicle was also issued several traffic citations, including traffic tickets for reckless driving and speeding.
Not long after the suspects were charged with the drug offenses, the Newark Department of Public Safety fired the men from their jobs as sanitation workers for the City of Newark. The suspects worked for the Newark government since April 2016.
If the suspects are eventually convicted on the heroin possession charges, they would face significant criminal penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10, possession of a trace amount of heroin is considered a third degree crime, which means that a conviction could result in a sentence of 3-5 years in NJ State Prison.
For additional information about this case, go to the NJ.com article, “2 Lose Newark Sanitation Jobs after Heroin Arrest, Officials Say.”