Two alleged local members of a notorious street gang have admitted to participating in conspiracies to sell narcotics, authorities say.
Tauheed Satchell (Essex County Corrections)NEWARK -- Two alleged members of a notorious street gang have admitted to participating in conspiracies to sell narcotics, federal authorities said Tuesday.
Larry Coleman, 28, of Newark, pleaded guilty to charges he conspired with others to sell heroin throughout the city, said a spokesperson for the office of Paul Fishman, U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey.
Coleman admitted that from December 2014 through May 2015, he conspired with others to distribute 20 bricks of heroin, authorities said.
Tauheed Satchell, 26, also of Newark, admitted to participating in a conspiracy to sell crack cocaine, authorities said. Satchell also admitted to charges that he was found in possession of an illegal weapon.
Both men were arrested as part of a long-running investigation by federal, state and local law enforcement authorities of local members of the Los Angeles-based Grape Street Crips.
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Using phone-taps and various other means to investigate the group's alleged activities, investigators arrested and charged 50 alleged members and associates of the gang on charges of drug-trafficking, physical assaults and witness intimidation, court records indicate.
Satchell was arrested in May, along with dozens of other alleged members of the gang. According to court documents, Satchell on multiple occasions allegedly purchased "distribution" amounts of crack cocaine from others involved in the conspiracy.
Authorities ultimately accused him of intending to distribute approximately 28 grams of crack cocaine in and around Newark, according to court documents.
Investigators confiscated several illegal firearms found in the possession of the alleged participants in the conspiracy, according to court documents. On March 19, 2014, Satchell was observed by investigators attempting to hide a 280-caliber pistol at a Newark residence, the documents say.
Coleman now faces a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and $1 million fine, authorities said.
After opting to plead guilty, Satchell is facing a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, along with a maximum potential sentence of 40 years in prison and $5 million fine.
Sentencing hearings for Coleman and Satchell are set for Feb. 16 and Feb. 1, 2016, respectively.
Vernal Coleman can be reached at vcoleman@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @vernalcoleman. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
