CAMDEN, N.J. (1010 WINS) — A New Jersey man was sentenced Thursday to 87 months in prison for conspiring to distribute more than 1 kilogram of heroin after a Camden drug bust, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said.
David Velez, 31, previously pleaded guilty in federal court for attempting to distribute the controlled substance from June 2018 through November 2018.
Velez was arrested in January 2019 after confidential informants, consensual recordings, over 40 controlled drug purchases and court-authorized wiretaps led authorities to a "large-scale drug operation" in Camden, New Jersey from 2017 to 2018.
"Street-level sellers were supervised by managers, who also resupplied them with pre-packaged heroin, cocaine and crack cocaine," officials said. "Velez and his brother, Ramon Velez, sold heroin from the area surrounding his residence on Morgan Boulevard."
Federal investigators also charged nineteen defendants for drug trafficking crimes through their inquiry. 16 defendants have pleaded guilty on drug conspiracy charges, with 12 awaiting sentencing.
Ramon Perez was sentenced in June to 10 years in prison. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb also sentenced David Velez Thursday to five years of supervised release.