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Philadelphia Drug Dealer Convicted of Trafficking 1.5 Kilos of Heroin Laced with Fentanyl Into NJ  

New Jersey

Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal announced that a Philadelphia drug dealer was convicted at trial today in connection with his arrest in 2017 when the New Jersey State Police seized 1.5 kilograms of heroin laced with the super-potent synthetic opioid fentanyl.

Officials say Francisco Delarosa-Luna, 31, of Philadelphia, PA., was convicted late today by a Mercer County jury of charges of first-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute and third-degree possession of CDS. The verdict followed a three-week trial before Superior Court Judge Robert W. Bingham II in Mercer County. First-degree crimes carry a sentence of 10 to 20 years in state prison. Delarosa-Luna is scheduled to be sentenced on March 15.

“Delarosa-Luna was trafficking large quantities of heroin laced with fentanyl into New Jersey, where far too many people are dying from this dangerous mix of opioids,” said Attorney General Grewal. “As fentanyl-related deaths have spiked in New Jersey, we have focused collaborative law enforcement efforts on stopping the drug dealers bringing this poison into our communities.”

The New Jersey State Police developed information about a heroin supplier known as “El Jefe” (“The Chief”) who was distributing heroin throughout New Jersey that he obtained from sources in both Philadelphia and New Jersey. With assistance from the DEA Philadelphia/Camden HIDTA Task Force, the State Police identified the dealer as Delarosa-Luna and learned that he was preparing to distribute a large quantity of heroin in New Jersey.

The New Jersey State Police used a confidential source to arrange to purchase heroin from Delarosa-Luna at a parking lot in Ewing, Delarosa-Luna used Uber to travel to the location. He was arrested by the State Police on Oct. 5, 2017 after he arrived at the parking lot, carrying a bag marked “Birthday.” The bag held two plastic-wrapped rectangular packages, which testing revealed contained approximately 1.5 kilograms of heroin laced with fentanyl.

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