Street Gang Life

Fourteen alleged gang members were arrested in early morning raids on their homes, New Jersey State Police and federal agencies said this week.

The 14 are accused of drug crimes, including the distribution of crack just south of Bergen County in the Irvington area.

A coalition of law enforcement agencies participated in the raids, including state police, U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers, the local police department and Homeland Security authorities.

Two more men suspected of participation in the alleged crack ring are still at large, officials said: one is a 28-year-old from West Orange and the other is a 32-year-old from East Orange.

Prosecutors claim that between February of last year and April of this year, undercover law enforcement officers or informants made several purchases of crack cocaine from those now facing federal charges of conspiracy to distribute the drug.

The charge carries a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison and a maximum sentence of life in prison. In addition, those convicted of the charge can be fined up to $10 million.

Prosecutors also claim one of the defendants, a 26-year-old from West Orange, ordered executions of two people so that he could retain control of the crack trafficking organization. Law enforcement officials said they were able to stop the killings of the two after they were identified.

Others arrested include seven men from Irvington, all in their 20s, two men from Newark, a 25-year-old from East Orange and a 21-year-old from Orange.