Major bust seizes $260K in drugs, shuts down heroin mills, drug rings in 2 N.J. towns

A nearly six-month-long drug investigation has resulted in six arrests and the closure of two heroin mills while also chipping away at two drug trafficking organizations in Trenton and Hamilton, authorities said.

The investigation began in January and ultimately revealed that Javone Nesmith and his brother, Breyon Newkirk, were running a production facility in an apartment on West State Street in Trenton, according to the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office. The apartment belonged to Ashley Lopez, as an effort to cover the illegal activities.

Officers executed search warrants at the apartment May 9 and found a heroin mill with grinders, cutting agents, glassine bags for packaging, stamp pads and stampers, authorities said. They also recovered more than 600 grams of cocaine, raw heroin, bricks of heroin, a half pound of marijuana and $25,000 in cash.

Nesmith and Ashley Lopez were arrested at that time and charged with multiple first- and second-degree drug offenses. Newkirk was arrested days later.

Tracing connections between Nesmith and Newkirk’s operation, investigators were able to uncover a second alleged drug operation involving Joseph Lopez, who is not related to Ashley Lopez.

On May 21, officers arrested Kenneth Figueroa and attempted to take Joseph Lopez into custody during a drug deal, though he fled and crashed into a police vehicle, according to the prosecutor’s office. But Joseph Lopez had thrown a backpack from his vehicle, which allegedly contained 5,600 bags of heroin and 30 grams of raw heroin. He was arrested a few days later.

The search then moved to an apartment on Annabelle Avenue in Hamilton. There, officers found a second fully operational heroin mill, more than 1,000 grams of raw heroin, 1,000 grams of fentanyl, $50,000 in cash and a 2007 Chrysler Pacifica, authorities said.

In total, the drugs had a retail value of $260,000. Authorities also seized four vehicles, several flat screen TVs, computers, recording equipment and $75,000 in cash.

Figueroa and Joseph Lopez face multiple first- and second-degree drug charges, while Lopez faces additional charges of aggravated assault on police, resisting arrest and eluding, according to the prosecutor’s office. Terry Robinson, who was allegedly found packaging heroin at the Annabelle Avenue apartment, has been charged with with multiple first- and second-degree drug offenses.

“The success of this case speaks volumes about the professionalism, dedication and determination of all of the officers involved, and never would have been possible without the cooperation and collaboration of our many law enforcement partners,” Prosecutor Angelo Onofri said in a statement.

The investigation began with Mercer County Narcotics Task Force and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Special Investigations Unit, and ultimately involved more than a dozen other agencies, including the FBI, New Jersey State Police and several other local police departments.