LINDEN, N.J. – A Union County grand jury has indicted four Roselle residents on 19 drug-related charges following a two-month investigation by the Linden Police Department’s Narcotics Bureau that uncovered fentanyl disguised as prescription pills.
Christine Cintron, 25, Tyron Dieujuste, 32, Xavier M. Padilla, 26, and Juanita Padilla-Jacobs, 43, were arrested on October 3 after detectives executed a search warrant at a residence on E. 9th Avenue in Roselle. During the raid, officers seized 280 grams of cocaine, quantities of Xanax and Ecstasy, $6,280 in cash, and nearly 400 suspected Oxycodone pills, which subsequent testing revealed to be fentanyl.
“Fentanyl has exacerbated the opioid epidemic and destroyed the lives of many of our family, friends, and loved ones,” Linden Police Chief David Hart said in a statement. “The idea that this deadly drug is being disguised to appear like more widely-used prescription drugs is very concerning, and I am incredibly proud of the work done to save lives and take these pills off our streets.”
The grand jury indictment, issued December 4, includes multiple counts of third-degree possession of a controlled dangerous substance, first-degree intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, and second-degree intent to distribute in a park zone. The defendants face significant prison time if convicted on the most serious charges.
Officials have pointed to the increasing presence of fentanyl in counterfeit pills as a major driver of the opioid epidemic. The synthetic opioid has been linked to 75% of opioid-related deaths in New Jersey, according to state data.
