An alleged street gang member and a second male suspect were arraigned today on multiple drug charges following their arrests yesterday by Essex County sheriff’s detectives.
In response to neighborhood complaints of drug trafficking, Sheriff Armando Fontoura stated that detectives from his department’s Bureau of Narcotics staged a plainclothes surveillance operation at the intersection of Washington and Hill streets in downtown Newark at noon on Tuesday.
At this location, a reputed Latin Kings gang member, later identified as Craig Hadniyak, 43, of Carteret, was observed loitering in the area.
Within minutes, Hadniyak was approached by a male passerby, later identified as Kyle Eley, 44, of Irvington.
“After a brief conversation, Hadniyak produced a set of keys and entered 49 Hill Street, a multi-residence building,” Sheriff Fontoura said. “Hadniyak then exchanged what appeared to be a ‘wet’ cigarette with Eley for cash.”
Eley was followed from the scene. When the sheriff’s BON detectives detained him the suspect threw the ‘wet’ cigarette to the ground. Eley was also found to be in possession of sixty Tramadol painkiller capsules.
“In our business, a ‘wet’ cigarette means only one thing, it’s been laced with PCP, also known on the street as ‘Angel Dust’”, Fontoura noted.
Back at the scene of the sale, Hadniyak was detained and the hallway of the apartment building was searched.
“Here our officers discovered four glass bottles filled with Phencycline or PCP, a dissociative anesthetic which induces out-of-body experiences,” Fontoura added.
The estimated street value of the narcotics seized by the BON detectives is approximately $5,000.
Hadniyak was charged with the sale, possession and possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance.
Eley was charged with two counts of possession of CDS and with possession with intent to distribute CDS.
At today’s arraignment, both Hadniyak and Eley were ordered held at the county jail in lieu of $75,000 cash bond only for each suspect.