Five Members of New Jersey and Philadelphia Drug Trafficking Organization—including Two Jamaican Nationals—Arrested in NJ-Homeland Security Task Force Operation

CAMDEN, N.J. - Five members and associates of a drug trafficking organization (DTO) operating in southern New Jersey and Philadelphia-including two Jamaican citizens-were arrested this week and charged with conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl, and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer announced.

"As alleged, this drug trafficking organization distributed large quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine throughout southern New Jersey and Philadelphia while operating across state and national borders. Working through the Homeland Security Task Force and alongside our federal, state, and local partners, this Office is committed to dismantling transnational drug trafficking networks that flood our communities with deadly narcotics and fuel violence and addiction."

- U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer

"This investigation dismantled a drug trafficking organization responsible for flooding communities across southern New Jersey and Philadelphia with dangerous quantities of fentanyl, methamphetamine, and cocaine," said DEA New Jersey Field Division Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James. "The seizures in this case represent lives potentially saved from the devastating impact of these deadly narcotics. DEA and our law enforcement partners remain committed to targeting transnational criminal organizations that profit from addiction and violence, and we will continue using every investigative tool available to identify, disrupt, and dismantle these networks operating in our communities."

This week's charges are the result of a long-term wiretap investigation conducted by the Drug Enforcement Agency New Jersey Field Division's Atlantic County HIDTA Task Force and the New Jersey State Police's Gangs and Organized Crime South Unit.

Andrew Davis, a/k/a "Flip Mogella," a/k/a "Floss King," 47, a Jamaican citizen living in East Nottingham Township, Pennsylvania; Clifford Brown, 52, a Jamaican citizen living in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; Damion Jones, 44, of Millville, New Jersey; James McBride, 53, of Marlton, New Jersey; and Jule Stubbs, 51, of Millville, New Jersey, all had their initial court appearances earlier this week before U.S. Magistrate Judge Ann Marie Donio in Camden federal court and were detained.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

In order to take down this DTO, law enforcement obtained wire-tap orders for Davis's phones, conducted controlled drug purchases with a confidential source, performed physical and electronic surveillance, and executed search warrants. The investigation showed that the DTO distributed large quantities of methamphetamine, fentanyl/fentanyl analogue, and cocaine. The DTO obtained the drugs from packages sent to addresses the DTO controlled in southern New Jersey and the Philadelphia area. The complaint describes some of the drugs seized by law enforcement as part of the investigation, including more than 38 pounds of suspected methamphetamine, more than 7.5 kilograms of suspected cocaine, and almost 1 kilogram of fentanyl/fentanyl analogue.

The count charging conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute carries a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, a mandatory minimum penalty of 10 years' imprisonment, and a maximum fine of $10 million.

U.S. Attorney Frazer credited special agents and task force officers with the Drug Enforcement Administration's New Jersey Field Division, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James, and personnel with the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Acting Superintendent Lt. Colonel (Ret.) Jeanne Hengemuhle, with the investigation leading to the charges in this case. U.S. Attorney Frazer also thanked the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania, under the direction of U.S. Attorney David Metcalf, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Stefanie Roddy in Newark, the Gloucester County Prosecutor's Office, under the direction of Prosecutor Andy Johns, and the Burlington County Prosecutor's Office, under the direction of Prosecutor LaChia L. Bradshaw, for their assistance in the investigation.

These arrests are part of the Homeland Security Task Force (HSTF) initiative established by Executive Order 14159, Protecting the American People Against Invasion. The HSTF is a whole-of-government partnership dedicated to eliminating criminal cartels, foreign gangs, transnational criminal organizations, and human smuggling and trafficking rings operating in the United States and abroad. Through historic interagency collaboration, the HSTF directs the full might of United States law enforcement towards identifying, investigating, and prosecuting the full spectrum of crimes committed by these organizations, which have long fueled violence and instability within our borders. In performing this work, the HSTF places special emphasis on investigating and prosecuting those engaged in child trafficking or other crimes involving children. The HSTF further utilizes all available tools to prosecute and remove the most violent criminal aliens from the United States. HSTF Atlantic City comprises agents and officers from DEA, FBI, and HSI with the prosecution being led by the United States Attorney's Office for the District of New Jersey.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jeffrey Bender and Dak Cohen of the U.S. Attorney's Office in Camden.

The charges and allegations contained in the complaints are merely accusations, and the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

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Defense counsel:

Davis: Edward F. Borden, Jr., Esq., Cherry Hill, New Jersey

Brown: Ikram Ally, Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Camden, New Jersey

McBride: Jonathan Sobel, Esq., Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Jones: Jordan Zeitz, Esq., Haddonfield, New Jersey

Stubbs: Gina Amoriello, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania