20 people indicted as part of Bayshore heroin ring

Dubbed "Operation Family Tides," the 10-month investigation by several county and local law enforcement agencies revealed the members obtained large quantities of heroin in raw undiluted form and then recruited people to package the opiate for sale primarily in the Cliffwood section of Aberdeen.

FREEHOLD -- A Monmouth County grand jury on Monday indicted 20 people as part of a drug distribution network that included several members of the same family who recruited others to package heroin and cocaine flowing through the county's Bayshore area.

Four of those indicted are charged with being the leaders of that network, which acting Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher Gramiccioni said sold large quantities of heroin almost daily.

Seven others are accused of conspiring with the alleged leaders to distribute heroin and cocaine in a network that Gramiccioni said operated out of houses and apartments in Monmouth and Middlesex counties.

Dubbed "Operation Family Tides," the 10-month investigation by several county and local law enforcement agencies revealed the members obtained large quantities of heroin in raw undiluted form and then recruited people to package the opiate for sale primarily in the Cliffwood section of Aberdeen.

The 136-count indictment names Gregory "IA" Moore, 34; Terrence "T9" Brown, 38; Edward "Head" Guttridge II, 30, all of Cliffwood, and Halee Wing, 37, of East Orange, as leaders of the narcotics ring. The four men are charged with leading a narcotics trafficking network, conspiracy, drug possession with intent to distribute and drug distribution.

Those charged as being co-conspirators are Isaiah "Zeke" Edwards, 25, of Old Bridge; Raymond "Hood" Jackson, 30, of Keyport; Bianca Edwards, 22, of Old Bridge; Joseph "Rule" Jackson Jr., 44, of Matawan, Krystal Mell, 26, of Keansburg, Alina Alma, 24, of New York City and James, "King James" Hemenway, 37, of Woodbridge. They were charged with conspiracy, drug possession with intent to distribute and drug distribution. Brown, Isaiah Edwards, Gutridge, Raymond Jackson, Mell and Joseph Jackson, Jr. also face additional drug distribution charges. Additionally, Gutridge and Jessica German, 21, of New York City, were each charged with drug possession.

Members of the operation also sold powder and crack cocaine, Gramiccioni said.

He said the investigation also uncovered two locations - an apartment in Perth Amboy and another apartment in Woodbridge - where heroin and cocaine were processed and packaged.

In the indictment, Gutridge, Wing, Alma, and Timothy Davidson, 38, of Old Bridge, are charged with maintaining or operating a drug production facility, drug possession with intent to distribute in connection with the apartment in Perth Amboy. Hemenway is charged with maintaining or operating a drug production facility and drug possession with intent to distribute related to the Woodbridge apartment, Gramiccioni said.

The indictment also named seven people who are accused of buying drugs from members of the narcotics ring. They were identified as Ryan Murphy, 26, and Taheem Brown, 22, of Cliffwood; Jason Remp, 21, of Hazlet; James Mitchell, 57, Shannon Lecomte 21, and Denise Giuriceo, 41, of Keansburg and Christine Owens, 44, of the West Keansburg section of Hazlet. They are charged with drug possession and conspiracy to possess drugs.