Drug distribution ring hits close to home

Sparta - A number of people with ties to Sparta were arrested Saturday when police dismantled a $100,000-a-month cocaine ring based out of a popular Morris County restaurant, sources close to the investigation said. The weekend drug sweep culminated in the arrests of both sellers and customers in an operation based out of Cerilli’s Restaurant in Randolph. The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office predicted that 40 of the 120 arrested would be convicted as dealers and sentenced to prison terms of at least five years. The largest single drug bust in Morris County history evolved from a six-month investigation. Nearly 400 officers from 34 agencies executed search warrants at 150 locations during the early morning hours Saturday in Morris, Sussex, Essex, and Warren counties and at homes in Byram, Hopatcong, and Stanhope. Sparta Police Chief Ernie Reigstad said his department would have been contacted on a “need-to-know basis” concerning the investigation. “I applaud the efforts of the Morris County Prosecutor’s Offices and the agencies involved,” said Reigstad. “They’ve taken a enormous drug distribution ring out of service and we’ll see a tremendous impact in this area.” Investigators netted about 2 pounds of cocaine, $64,000 in cash, six firearms, and 60 vehicles. The Prosecutor’s Office said the operation allegedly involved the distribution of at least 4 ½-6 ½ pounds of cocaine to Morris County and points beyond. The drug sting was not lost on Sparta police, who have made repeated drug arrests along Route 15 in an effort to slow down trafficking to and from urban areas to suburban regions in and out of the state. “This certainly shows that there was a large distribution ring close to home,” said Reigstad. “This wasn’t New York City. This was in Randolph - a town that is certainly similar to Sparta. These types of operations, although they do exist in the cities, can be found in more rural towns than Sparta. Drug distribution rings are everywhere.” Authorities expect to make more arrests and some of those already charged would face additional counts. Alejandro Anda-Rodriguez, 31, of Dover, a cook at Cerilli’s, was charged with several counts of drug distribution and the first-degree charge of being the drug-trafficking ringleader. Authorities allege, that with the help of three other employees, Anda-Rodriguez sold cocaine to customers both inside and outside the restaurant. Several other restaurant employees and one of its owners, Cataldo Cerilli, 46, also were arrested as part of the operation.