Three men, including one from Cedar Grove and another from Belleville, were arrested as part of a large bust in Hudson County that took down a fentanyl and heroin mill last week.

The mill is believed to be linked to 227 overdoses, including 84 deaths, based on the brand names stamped onto the wax folds said Gurbir Grewal, the State Attorney General in a release. Four kilos and 32,500 individual doses of fentanyl and heroin were seized during the bust.

A luxury apartment on Somerset Street in Harrison served as home base for the mill and is estimated to have supplied 15,000 doses of both heroin and fentanyl a day, Grewal said.

Timothy Guest, 45, of Irvington, is accused of operating the mill while William Woodley, 27, of Belleville and Selionel of Orama, 25, of Cedar Grove worked under him and all three face first- and second-degree drug charges.

The opioid enforcement task force set up by the New Jersey State Police had been watching the building on March 14 when Guest was seen leaving with a black duffel bag that was thought to contain drugs and getting into a Cadillac. When police attempted to stop Guest, he allegedly fled and hit two troop cars. Guest was arrested and Woodley and Orama were arrested when they tried to flee the mill, said Grewal.

Contained inside the duffel bag was 150 bricks of fentanyl. Three kilograms of fentanyl, one kilogram of heroin mixed with fentanyl, 500 bricks of fentanyl and drug mill equipment were found inside the apartment, Grewal said. In addition to the equipment, more than 40 rubber ink stamps were found and 25 of them had brand names that were linked to the overdoses and deaths in the past year, Grewal said.

The stamps include:

• Tom Brady: 19 fatal overdoses and 23 non-fatal overdoses
• Nyquil: 12 fatal overdoses and 23 non-fatal overdoses
• Blue Magic: 7 fatal overdoses and 24 non-fatal overdoses
• NJ Bad News: 4 fatal overdoses and 11 non-fatal overdoses
• El Chapo: 8 fatal overdoses and 6 non-fatal overdoses
• Hellcat: 2 fatal overdoses and 11 non-fatal overdoses.

“We know that our state is home to far too many people struggling with addiction,” Grewal said. “But we ask that, no matter what challenges you’re facing in your life, if you see heroin stamped with these markings, please, please stay away from it. Your next fix could be your last.”

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Grewal implored the public to reach out to law enforcement if they see any one of these stamps and said that many departments and county prosecutors would allow people to turn in drugs and paraphernalia without asking questions.

A second location in Secaucus was discovered and was allegedly used as a “stash house.” A $400,000 Bentley convertible, $130,000 Range Rover and $200,000 in cash were seized at the stash house.

Guest, Woodley and Orama face charges of maintaining a narcotics production facility, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of fentanyl with intent to sell, possession of fentanyl and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Guest is facing an additional charge of eluding police and is being held in jail pending a detention hearing while Woodley and Orama were released, “subjected to conditions,” Grewal said.

The task force was assisted by U.S. Homeland Security Investigations, the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration, Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Prosecutor’s Office, Morris County Sheriff’s Office, Passaic County Prosecutor’s Office, Passaic County Sheriff’s Office, Cliffside Park Police, Nutley Police, Harrison Police and Newark Police.

 

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