Trenton drug conspiracy leader gets 19 years in prison

January 18, 2023

TRENTON, NJ (MERCER) — A Trenton man was sentenced yesterday to 228 months in prison for leading a major drug-trafficking conspiracy that circulated more than one kilogram of heroin in and around Trenton, U.S. Attorney Philip R said. .Announced by the seller.

Jakeer Taylor, also known as “Jack”, 32, previously pleaded guilty to Chief U.S. District Judge Freda L. Wolfson on counts one and seven of the first substitutive indictment, in which he was charged with conspiracy to distribute and possess for the purpose of distributing one kilogram or more of heroin. and possession of a firearm to commit a drug-trafficking offense. Chief Judge Wolfson delivered the verdict today in federal court in Trenton.

According to the documents presented in the case and statements made in court:

From October 2017 to October 2018, Taylor and others were involved in a major drug trafficking conspiracy that operated in the areas of Martin Luther King Boulevard, Sanford Street, Middle Rose Street, Southard Street, Hoffman Avenue and Coolidge Street. Avenue in Trenton. profit from the distribution of heroin and many other controlled substances. Taylor and conspirator Jerome Roberts received regular deliveries of hundreds of “bricks” of heroin from conspirator David Antonio, whom they called “Papi”. Taylor and Roberts agreed to receive up to 1,500 briquettes of heroin from Antonio — about 1.5 kg of heroin — per delivery. Taylor said he intended to “flood the streets” of Trenton with this large supply. Taylor also admitted that he and his conspirators had at least one firearm to aid in his drug trafficking operations, and on numerous occasions during the conspiracy, Taylor actively sought to obtain additional firearms from other sources. During coordinated arrests on October 25, 2018, law enforcement arrested Taylor, Roberts, Antonio and other defendants and seized over 1.4 kg of heroin from Antonio’s home.

In addition to the prison sentence, Chief Judge Wolfson sentenced Taylor to five years of parole.

In October 2018, Taylor and 25 others were criminally charged with conspiracy to distribute heroin. On April 11, 2019, a grand jury returned a nine-count substitution indictment charging Taylor and eight other defendants with conspiracy to distribute one or more kilograms of heroin and various other drug and firearm-related offenses. Twenty-three of the 26 defendants charged in the complaint pleaded guilty. The remaining three were convicted after trial in October 2021.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger enlisted FBI Special Agents, Newark Branch, Trenton Permanent Agency under Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; Special Agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Newark Division, Trenton Sub-Office, under Acting Special Agent Brian Miller; officers of the Trenton Police Department under Acting Police Director Steve Wilson; officers of the Princeton Police Department under Chief of Police Nicholas Sutter; officers of the Ewing Police Department under Chief of Police John P. Stemler III; officers of the Burlington Township Police Department under Police Director Bruce Painter; and the Burlington County Attorney’s Office detectives, led by LaChia Attorney L. Bradshaw, whose investigation led to today’s verdict.

He also thanked the New Jersey State Police officers under Superintendent Colonel Patrick J. Callahan; detectives from the Mercer County Attorney’s Office, led by Attorney Angelo Onofri; Mercer County Sheriff’s Office officers under Sheriff John A. Kemler; and to the members of the New Jersey Parole Board for their assistance in the case.

The government is represented by Assistant US Attorneys J. Brendan Day and Alexander Ramey of the Criminal Division of the US Attorney’s Office in Trenton.

This case is part of the Organized Crime Counter Narcotics Task Force (OCDETF) operation. The OCDETF identifies, disrupts and dismantles the highest level criminal organizations that threaten the United States using an intelligence-driven, multi-agency prosecutor-led approach. More information about the OCDETF program can be found at

The accusations and allegations against the remaining defendants are simply accusations, and these defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.

23-018

Defense Counsel: Jerome A. Ballarotto, Esq., Trenton