Bloomfield Police Make Heroin Bust Near High School

Bloomfield police have arrested two men for heroin distribution following a three-week long investigation of a street drug exchange regularly occurring near Bloomfield High School, police said. 

Bloomfield detectives Sgt. Michael Sisco Jr. and Harry Norris began a surveillance operation on Belleville Avenue, close to Bloomfield High in mid- February, police said. 

Regularly during their surveillance, the detectives reportedly saw a green, 1995, four-door Lexus pull in front of an apartment building to conduct a “hand to hand” drug deal between the driver, Malik Y. Jones, 37, of East Orange, and Bloomfield resident William Fleming, according to a police report.

Fleming would allegedly come out of the apartment building and hand over a white package from the passenger side window of the Lexus in exchange for cash, police said. 

During the three-week investigation, Detectives Sisco and Norris used DMV records to identify Jones, who they discovered had an extensive criminal history of drug distribution arrests, police say.

On March 5, police said they had enough information to attempt an arrest.

The narcotics team, including the two lead investigators as well as Detectives Capt. Glenn Wiegand, Lt. Joseph Krentz, Sgt. Thomas Fano, Louis Vitiello and Det. Chad Smith, were waiting when the Lexus pulled in front of the apartment building at 10 a.m. As Jones exited the building, the detectives surrounded the suspects and the vehicle. Fleming reportedly put his hands in the air and police say Jones tossed the drugs onto the floor of his vehicle.

Both men were arrested. The 10 glassine envelopes of heroin marked “Hurricane Sandy” found in the car were taken as evidence.

Jones’ vehicle was taken to the Police Evidence Garage and a warrant was obtained to search his apartment.

During the search, 40 more glassine envelops of heroin were discovered, for a total of 50 envelopes. Police said these envelopes, or packs, are called a “deck” on the street and collected into “bundles” of 10 decks. The police report further explained that five Bundles are the equivalent of what is called a “brick.”

The confiscated brick of heroin has an approximate street value of $500.

A total of $3,311 in cash was also reportedly found in the car.

The Essex County Sheriffs Department’s K-9 unit’s drug and weapon searching dogs were brought in to search the car, but police say they but didn’t find anything.

Bloomfield Municipal Court Judge John A. Paparazzo set bail at $200,000 for Jones with a pending court date and Fleming was released on his own recognizance.

Jones was charged with possession of heroin, possession of heroin with the intent to distribute, possession of heroin within 1000 feet of a school and possession of Heroin within 500 feet of a Public Place, Bloomfield Public Library.  

Fleming, 41, was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia.