Cline Liquor Store in Newark (Google Maps)
NEWARK -- Essex County Sheriff's detectives watching a Newark liquor store arrested three alleged drug dealers -- including a store employee -- and seized bags of crack cocaine from behind the counter, authorities said Tuesday.
The surveillance operation targeted Cline Liquor Store on Clinton Avenue as part of an ongoing drug investigation in the city's South Ward, according to Sheriff Armando Fontoura.
Detectives watched as Cindy Reed, 28, of Newark, exchanged an item for cash with Brian Caputo, 36, outside the store Monday afternoon, according to a sheriff's office statement. Authorities followed Caputo when he drove away from the shop and pulled him over a few blocks away.
Investigators found Caputo had a Ziplock bag of crack-cocaine, Fontoura added. The Rockaway resident was charged with drug possession.
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The next arrest came after detectives spotted Dashawn Parker, 52 of Newark, initially leave the liquor store only to re-enter with Brandon Ames, 34, of Sayreville, who pulled up outside, according to authorities. Parker briefly spoke with a store employee, Kalpesh Patel, who reached under the counter and handed items to him.
Parker then exchanged the suspected drugs with Ames for cash, according to Fontoura. Detectives followed Ames from the area and charged him with drug possession after police found he had two Ziplock bags of crack cocaine.
Sheriff's investigators identified themselves before Reed tossed six more bags of crack cocaine on the floor, authorities said. Behind the store's counter, detectives found a rubber garbage can that contained 50 Ziplock bags of crack cocaine.
Parker, Patel, 52, of Newark, and Reed were charged with drug distribution offenses, according the sheriff. A phone message left at store was not immediately returned Tuesday afternoon.
Noah Cohen may be reached at ncohen@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @noahyc and on Facebook. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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