A Newark man was sentenced today to 65 months in prison for distributing and conspiring with others to distribute more than 28 grams of cocaine base, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
According to federal officials, Nasir Williams, 24, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty to an information charging him with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine case and distribution of 28 grams or more of cocaine base.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Stephen Crane Village is a public housing complex in Newark, on the border with Belleville.
From at least February 2019 through February 2020, law enforcement officers investigated individuals that controlled an open-air drug market that operated there.
Through numerous controlled purchases of narcotics, consensually recorded telephone calls and text messages, physical surveillance, and the analysis of telephone records, law enforcement officers determined that multiple individuals, including Williams, conspired to distribute and did distribute narcotics, including heroin, fentanyl, cocaine and cocaine base, in and around Stephen Crane Village.
On January 15, 2020, in Stephen Crane Village, Nasir Williams sold approximately 31 grams of cocaine base to an individual while under surveillance by law enforcement.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Vazquez sentenced Williams to four years of supervised release.
This investigation was part of the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). The U.S. Attorney’s Office has partnered with state, federal, county, and local law enforcement to investigate crime in Newark and the surrounding cities.
This case is also 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.