Nine Sex, Money, Murder gang members arrested in Central Jersey drug trafficking bust

Nine people who are allegedly all members of a Plainfield-based Bloods-related street gang have been charged with distributing large quantities of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine.

Jerry Ross, 46, of Somerset; Joseph Ross, 42, of Rahway; Luis Delvalle, 41, Pernell White, 36, and Jaquay Bell, 35, of Piscataway; Andre Gaddy, 31, of North Plainfield and Jacob Douglas, 42, Tarrell Strond, 42, and Tayeire Thomas, 26, of Plainfield, each were charged with one count of conspiracy to distribute fentanyl, heroin, and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger announced.

Douglas, White and Thomas remain at large while the other six defendants were scheduled to appear Thursday before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor in Newark federal court, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Court documents and statements indicate the defendants are all members and associates of a drug trafficking organization that operated an open-air narcotics market in the area of West 3rd Street in Plainfield.

The organization is affiliated with the Sex, Money, Murder street gang, which is a set of the Bloods street gang. For several months law enforcement personnel conducted surveillance of the area, numerous controlled narcotics purchases and analyzed phone records, which demonstrated extensive interactions related to drug trafficking among the members or the conspiracy, according to the U.S. Attorney's Office.

According to the criminal complaint, between April 2023 and April 2024 the defendants in Essex County and other locations conspired with each other and others to possess and distribute more than 40 grams of a substance containing a mixture of fentanyl, heroin and cocaine. The men allegedly engaged in hundreds of hand-to-hand narcotics transactions.

Court documents show Jerry Ross was also known as Molly or Je Ross; Joseph Ross was also known as Rock or Jo Ross; Luis Delvalle was known as Lou or Delvalle; Pernell White was known as P-Hood, Lil P or White; Jaquay Bell was known as Mega or Bell; Andre Gaddy was known as Drizzy or Gaddy; Jacob Douglas was known as Jol or Douglas; Tarell Strond was known as Gucci or Strond and Tayeire Thomas was known as Fat Ted or Thomas.

The criminal complaint states on April 1, one buyer was found to be in possession of about 200 glassine envelopes containing a mixture of suspected fentanyl and heroin stamped “Chicago Bulls,” “Win for Life” and “Lemon Pepper,” as well as approximately 18 grams of suspected cocaine after allegedly engaging in a narcotics transaction with Delvalle.

Court records detail at least 24 narcotics transactions over the two-year period and hundreds of phone calls between the defendants.

Sellinger thanked the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William Daniel and Chief Harvey A. Barnwell; officers of the Plainfield Police Department, under Director James Abney and Capt. Brian Newman as well as officers of Perth Amboy Police Department under the direction of Chief Lawrence Cattano, for their work on the case.

Email: srussell@gannettnj.com

Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for MyCentralJersey.com covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

This article originally appeared on MyCentralJersey.com: NJ drug tracking bust nets nine arrests