NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury has indicted six members of a Paterson street gang on charges of selling heroin and fentanyl, including a charge against one defendant for distributing heroin and fentanyl with death resulting, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.

Charged in a 29-count second superseding indictment are: Wyzier Peterson, 23, a/k/a “Trap;” Carl Brown, 26, a/k/a “C Dub,” a/k/a “Dub;” Aaryn Abrams, 24, a/k/a “AI;” Najier Boone, 24, a/k/a “Bebe;” Zikeme Brooks, 27, a/k/a “Zeek,” a/k/a “Ace;” and Jimir Ricks, 26, a/k/a “40,” a/k/a “Red.” 26.

The defendants are charged as follows:



  Count





Charge





Defendant(s)





1





Conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute 100 grams or more of heroin and 40 grams or more of fentanyl





Peterson, Brown, Abrams, Boone, Brooks, and Ricks





2





Distribution of heroin and fentanyl





Peterson and Ricks





3





Distribution of heroin





Brown and Boone





4





Distribution of heroin and fentanyl (with death resulting from the substance)





Peterson





5





Distribution of heroin





Peterson





6-13





Distribution of controlled substances (heroin and fentanyl)





Ricks





15





Distribution of heroin and fentanyl





Ricks and Abrams





16-18





Distribution of controlled substances (heroin and fentanyl)





Abrams





19-24





Distribution of controlled substances (heroin and fentanyl)





Boone





25





Distribution of heroin and fentanyl





Brooks





26





Distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base





Boone





27





Possession with intent to distribute heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base





Abrams





28





Use of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime





Abrams





29





Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon





Abrams





According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

The defendants and their conspirators are members and associates of the 230 Boys street gang, which operates primarily in and around Rosa Parks Boulevard and Godwin Avenue within the City of Paterson. Through numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, consensually recorded telephone calls and text messages, physical surveillance, and the analysis of telephone call detail records, law enforcement determined that from at least September 2018 through July 3, 2019, the defendants and their conspirators conspired to distribute narcotics, including heroin and fentanyl.  In October 2019, the defendants and 10 other members and associates of the 230 Boys were charged by complaint. 

Six co-defendants have since pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti: Keith Brinkley, 30; Isaiah Hargrove, 21; Tyson Jacobs, 21; Amir Jones, 21; Dwayne Northern, 35; and Cequan Wharton, 30, all of Paterson.

Count 4 carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 20 years in prison, a maximum penalty of life in prison, and a mandatory fine of $1 million. Counts 1 and 26 carry a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, and a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison, and a maximum fine of $5 million. Counts 2-3 and 5-27 carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million. Count 28 carries a mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison and a maximum penalty of life in prison, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed, as well as a maximum fine of $250,000. Count 29 carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000.

This case is being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents and task force officers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson; special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson in Newark; officers of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; officers of the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Director Jerry Speziale and Police Chief Ibrahim Baycora; and detectives of the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Camelia Valdes, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bergen County Sheriff's Office and the Belleville and Livingston police departments for their assistance with the case.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Organized Crime and Gangs Unit in Newark.

The charges and allegations in the second superseding indictment and previous criminal complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

NEWARK, N.J. – A federal grand jury has indicted a Paterson, New Jersey, man for distributing a quantity of heroin and fentanyl that led to the overdose death of a New Jersey resident, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Wyzier Peterson, 22, was also charged with two additional sales of heroin and fentanyl, as well as with conspiring to distribute at least 40 grams of fentanyl and at least 100 grams of heroin. The defendant was previously charged by complaint.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Peterson and his conspirators are all members and associates of the 230 Boys street gang, which operates primarily around Rosa Parks Boulevard and Godwin Avenue in Paterson. Through numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, consensually recorded telephone calls and text messages, physical surveillance, and the analysis of telephone call detail records, law enforcement officers determined that from September 2018 through July 3, 2019, Peterson and his conspirators conspired to distribute narcotics, to include heroin and fentanyl.

The count of conspiracy to distribute at least 100 grams of heroin and 40 grams of fentanyl carries a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a fine of at least $5 million. The counts of distribution of heroin and fentanyl carry a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1 million. The count of distribution of heroin and fentanyl, which led to the death of another person, carries a maximum of life imprisonment.

This case is being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents and task force officers with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Charlie J. Patterson; special agents of the Drug Enforcement Administration, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Susan A. Gibson; officers of the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; officers of the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Jerry Speziale; officers of the Jefferson Township Police Department, under the direction of Chief Sean Conrad; detectives of the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Camelia M. Valdes; and detectives of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Fredric Knapp; with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s OCDETF/Narcotics Unit.

The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

NEWARK, N.J. – Seventeen people have been charged for their roles as members and associates of a Paterson-based street gang involved in the distribution of narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced today.

Nine defendants were arrested today and seven were already in state custody. One defendant remains at large. Those arrested today are scheduled to have their initial appearances this afternoon before U.S. Magistrate Leda Dunn Wettre in Newark federal court. (See chart below.)

“Gang members who traffic in narcotics pump poison into New Jersey streets and put our citizens at risk of addiction and violence,” U.S. Attorney Carpenito said, “The charges announced today result from the combined work of our federal, state, and local partners, and will help ensure that these defendants no longer threaten our communities with these harms and instead are held responsible for their crimes.”

“Today’s arrests are a direct result of the hard work and collaboration between ATF, the U.S. Attorney’s Office, and our local, state, and federal partners in addressing gangs and their associative violence,” ATF Special Agent-In-Charge Charlie J. Patterson said. “Without question, gangs destroy communities. Let these arrests serve as a deterrent to those who think they have free reign to utilize the illegal drug trade to facilitate violence and spread fear in hopes of creating strongholds in our communities. ATF will continue to make addressing violent crime a priority and will stand together with our partners to make the City of Paterson a safer place for all of us.”

“The removal of these gang members from the streets of Paterson have made the city a safer place,” Susan A. Gibson, Special Agent in Charge of the Drug Enforcement Administration’s New Jersey Division, said. “The DEA and our law enforcement partners will continue to target those individuals and organizations who choose to put communities at risk by dealing dangerous narcotics.”

The complaint charges the defendants – all Paterson residents – in three interrelated drug conspiracies involving the distribution of heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base in the Passaic County area. One defendant, Tawan Grier, is additionally charged with distribution of cocaine base and heroin, and two of the defendants, Najier Boone and Davine Campbell, are charged with distribution of cocaine base.

According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

The defendants are all members and associates of the 230 Boys street gang, which operates primarily on Rosa Parks Boulevard and Godwin Avenue in Paterson. Through numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, consensually recorded telephone calls and text messages, physical surveillance, and the analysis of telephone call detail records, law enforcement determined that from September 2018 through Oct. 1, 2019, the defendants conspired to distribute narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine base.

The counts of conspiracy to distribute at least 100 grams of heroin and 28 grams of cocaine base each carry a maximum penalty of 40 years in prison and a fine of at least $5 million. The counts of conspiracy to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and the distribution of heroin and cocaine base, carry a maximum of 20 years in prison and a fine of $1 million.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents and task force officers with the ATF, Newark Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Patterson; special agents of the DEA, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gibson in Newark; officers of the N.J. State Police, under the direction of Col. Patrick J. Callahan; officers of the Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Director Jerry Speziale and Police Chief Troy Oswald; detectives of the Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Camelia Valdes, and the Passaic County Sheriff's Department, under the direction of Sheriff Richard H. Berdnik, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the U.S. Marshals Service, the Bergen County Sheriff's Office and the Belleville and Livingston police departments for their assistance with the case.

This case is being conducted under the auspices of the Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force (OCDETF). The principal mission of the OCDETF program is to identify, disrupt and dismantle the most serious drug trafficking, weapons trafficking and money laundering organizations, and those primarily responsible for the nation’s illegal drug supply.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Francesca Liquori of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s OCDETF Unit.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

DEFENDANTS AND CHARGES

*denotes at large



NAME





AGE





CHARGE





Aaryn Abrams





23





Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin

Count Two: Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin





Najier Boone





23





 

Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin

Count Two: Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin

Count Four: Distribution of Cocaine Base





Carl Brown





25





Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin

Count Two: Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin





*Keith Brinkley





29





Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin

Count Two: Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin





Zikeme Brooks





26





Count Two: Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin





Davine Campbell





38





Count Four: Distribution of Cocaine Base



 



Shaquille Fabor





26





Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin

Count Two: Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin

Count Three: Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl





Tawan Grier





20





Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin

Count Two: Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin

Count Three: Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl

Counts Four: Distribution of Heroin

Count Five: Distribution of Cocaine Base  





Isaiah Hargrove





20





Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin

Count Two: Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin

Count Three: Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl





Tyson Jacobs





20





Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin

Count Two: Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin

Count Three: Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl





Amir Jones





20





Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin

Count Two: Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin





Dashion Kelson





39





Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin

Count Two: Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin

Count Three: Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl





Dwayne Northern





34





Count Two: Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin



 



Wyzier Peterson





22





Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin

Count Two: Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin

Count Three: Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl





Jimir Ricks





25





Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin

Count Two: Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin

Count Three: Conspiracy to Distribute Fentanyl

 





Maurice Tisdale





26





Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin

Count Two: Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin





Cequan Wharton





25





Count One: Conspiracy to Distribute 100 Grams or More of Heroin

Count Two: Conspiracy to Distribute Heroin