Bergen County Prosecutor Gurbir S. Grewal announced the arrests of William Echeverrí, 45, of Upper Saddle River and Brian Cohen, 43, of Scotch Plains.
According to authorities, on June 14, 2017, law enforcement personnel conducted surveillance in South Hackensack, where they observed Echeverrí engage in a hand-to-hand drug transaction with an individual later identified as Brian Cohen. Subsequently, a motor vehicle stop was conducted on Cohen's vehicle and a search of his vehicle resulted in the seizure of one ounce of marijuana.
Thereafter, a court-authorized search warrant was executed on Echeverri's vehicle, residence, and storage locations resulting in the seizure of approximately forty pounds of marijuana and approximately $317,540 in United States currency.
The estimated street value of the marijuana that was seized is $200,000.
Echeverri's was charged with one count of Possession With the Intent to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance, namely Marijuana, in a quantity of twenty five pounds or more, N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5B(10)(a), a First Degree Crime; one count of Possession With the Intent to Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance, namely Marijuana, in a quantity of one ounce or more but less than five pounds, N.J.S.A. 2C:35- 5B(11), a Third Degree Crime; one count of Distribution of a Controlled Dangerous Substance, namely Marijuana, N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5B(11), a Third Degree Crime; and one count of Money Laundering, N.J.S.A. 2C:21-25A a Second Degree Crime.
Echeverri was remanded to the Bergen County Jail pending a Central Judicial Processing court date.
Cohen was charged with one count of Possession of Marijuana Under Fifty Grams, N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10A(4), a Disorderly Person’s Offense. He was released on a criminal summons pending a Central Judicial Processing court date on June 28.