5th guilty plea in 'heroin mill' prosecution

Friday, March 06, 2009
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

The last of five Bronx men charged in connection with a high-volume "heroin mill" in Jersey City has pleaded guilty to maintaining the drug production facility where three pounds of heroin and $9,488 were seized, officials said yesterday.

Joseph Agramonte, 34, of the Bronx, also pleaded guilty on Wednesday to drug possession with intent to distribute in connection with the drug production facility at Clinton Avenue and Sackett Street that was raided in August 2007, New Jersey Attorney General Anne Milgram announced yesterday.

When Agramonte is sentenced on April 24 the state will recommend he serve 14 years in prison with no chance of parole until he serves at least half the time, officials said.

Also charged in the probe were Rafael Richiez, 28, Lenin Torres, 24, and Pedro Torres, 22, officials said, adding that each has been sentenced to 10 years in prison after pleading guilty to conspiracy and drug possession with intent to distribute.

Rudy Torres, 35, pleaded guilty to the same charges as the other three and will face 10 years in prison when sentenced on April 9, officials said.

Inside the third-floor apartment police found enough heroin to put out "many thousands of individual doses," officials said.

They also found thousands of packs of packaged heroin with the logo "DOA," as well as chemicals and other items used to process the drug, officials said.

The investigation leading to the arrests was conducted by the New Jersey State Police and the federal Drug Enforcement Administration, officials said.

Cops: Heroin mill enough for 100,000 fixes

Saturday, August 04, 2007
By MICHAELANGELO CONTE
JOURNAL STAFF WRITER

Eleven pounds of heroin worth $1.75 million were seized in a Jersey City apartment and five New York men were arrested in a raid by New Jersey State Police on Thursday morning, officials said yesterday.

Busting up the heroin mill at Clinton Avenue at Sackett Street resulted in the arrest of Jose Agromonte, 29; Rafael Richiez, 27; Lenin Torres, 23; Pedro Torres, 21; and Rudy Torres, whose age was not available, officials said.

They are charged with maintaining a drug production facility and related drug possession and distribution charges, officials said. Agromonte was also wanted on federal charges for drug distribution and attempted kidnapping, officials said.

On Thursday morning, investigators spotted a stolen SUV associated with prior drug activity outside the Clinton Avenue location, officials said. Richiez and Lenin Torres were arrested when they left the building and tried to leave in the vehicle, officials said. A short time later the other three men left the apartment and police grabbed them, officials said.

Inside the apartment police found "a large-scale heroin mill" with enough of the drug on hand to put out 100,000 individual doses, officials said.

Police found thousands of packs of packaged heroin with the logo "DOA," on them, and chemicals and other items used to process the drug, officials said.

Agromonte was held without bail and the others were sent to Hudson County jail in Kearny with bails set at $250,000, officials said.