Newark Public Safety Director Fritz Fragé Joins U.S. Attorney Sellinger and Law Enforcement Partners In Announcing 42 Arrests 
Newark Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé joined U.S. Attorney for the District of New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin, Special Agent in Charge of the DEA’s New Jersey Division Susan A. Gibson, ATF Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews, FBI Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy, Essex County Prosecutor Theodore N. Stephens, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes, and other law enforcement partners in announcing criminal charges today against 42 defendants related to racketeering, violence, narcotics distribution, and federal firearms offenses today.
The arrests were made as part of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), a collaborative, multi-agency program designed to combine the resources of New Jersey’s federal, state, and local law enforcement to identify, target, and prosecute violent offenders and criminal organizations throughout New Jersey.
During the announcement, U.S. Attorney Sellinger noted that shooting incidents statewide and in cities where the VCIs operate are appreciably lower than the year-to-date total from last year, including a 23 percent reduction statewide and a 30 percent reduction in Newark.
The announcement included a report that 14 individuals, members and associates of the Grape Street Crips street gang, were charged by criminal complaints with conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute narcotics, including fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine at the Oscar Miles Village housing complex in Newark.
It was also announced that six defendants were charged by criminal complaints with conspiring to participate in a drug trafficking organization that distributed fentanyl and crack-cocaine in and around Lincoln Park in Newark. This investigation also resulted in the seizure of 13 firearms and quantities of cocaine.
On behalf of Newark Mayor Ras J. Baraka, Director Fragé thanked the VCI’s law enforcement partners for supporting the Newark Police Division in removing violent offenders from our streets and keeping our neighborhoods safe.
The charges are merely accusations, and the defendants are considered innocent unless and until proven guilty. #newarknj #publicsafety #police #njousa #partnership #newjersey #cops #crimereduction#CrimeStoppers
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