Police at the scene of Friday’s predawn raid on St. Nicholas Place. (Photo by John T. Ward. Click to enlarge)
By JOHN T. WARD
A Red Bank man and woman were arrested on drug manufacturing and dealing charges following a predawn raid on their East Side residence Friday, Chief Darren McConnell tells redbankgreen.
Executing a knock-and-announce warrant on the house at 20 St. Nicholas Place shortly before 6 a.m., police broke through the front door and confiscated an undetermined quantity of heroin, crack cocaine, ecstasy and a small amount of marijuana, McConnell said.
Police arrested Mark Standard, 36, and Shakira Johnson, 33, who put up no resistance, he said.
Inside the Cape Cod style house on the quiet dead-end street off Madison Avenue, police found $5,000 in cash as well as evidence that the suspects were manufacturing drugs on premise, McConnell said.
“There was a set-up in the house for cutting” narcotics, he said. Though it was not immediately known if the cutting agent Fentanyl was present, because of the high toxicity of the drug and others, a lab technician in full-body Tyvek suit collected the evidence, which is standard procedure, he said.
Standard and Johnson were charged with maintaining a drug manufacturing operation; possession of and possession with intent to distribute heroin, cocaine and ecstasy; and possession of less than 50 grams of marijuana.
Both were additionally charged with child endangerment because of the presence of two children, both of whom were released to family or friends of the suspects, McConnell said.
It was not immediately clear if Standard and Johnson would be remanded to the Monmouth County Correctional Institution or released under new bail guidelines, he said.
The investigation was developed by Lieutenant Robert Clayton and Patrolman Jhonathan Quispe, and the raid was executed with the assistance of the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s office, the chief said.
The house is owned by Chris Cole, a principal in the Metrovation commercial property development firm, who said he learned of the raid from redbankgreen and had contacted the police for more information.
