TRENTON – A father and son were arrested on numerous drug charges after police seized three-quarters of a pound of crystal meth and seven guns from their Buena Vista home, announced Attorney General Gurbir S. Grewal.
Paul Deola, 61, and his son Paul Deola IV, 29, were arrested on July 10 by state police and charged with Possession of Methamphetamine with Intent to Distribute (1st degree), Possession of a Firearm During Commission of a Drug Offense (2nd degree), Possession of Methamphetamine (3rd degree), Possession of Large Capacity Ammunition Magazine (4th degree), Possession of Armor-Piercing Ammunition (4th degree), Possession of Hollow-Point Bullets (4th degree).
According to Attorney General Grewal, NJ State Police caught wind that Deola and his son were allegedly distributing crystal methamphetamine from his home on East Landis Avenue in Buena Vista.
On July 10, detectives stopped Deola in his pickup truck near his home to execute a search warrant. The search yielded a small quantity of methamphetamine. State Police subsequently executed a search warrant at his home, where they seized approximately 12 ounces of crystal methamphetamine, a small quantity of marijuana, an assault rifle, a loaded handgun, five shotguns, large capacity magazines, armor-piercing and hollow-point bullets, and $17,670 in cash.
The son was arrested when he returned to the home a short time later. The pair is being held in jail pending detention hearings scheduled for July 16.
“Methamphetamine is a dangerous and addictive drug that destroys lives,” said Attorney General Grewal “We are working collaboratively and proactively across all levels of law enforcement to target the drug dealers who profit by distributing their poison in our communities.”
Deola and his son were arrested in an investigation by the New Jersey State Police Casino Gaming Bureau Casino Operations Unit, the NJSP Crime Suppression South Unit, and the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau. The NJSP Gangs & Organized Crime South Unit also assisted in the investigation.
“We will continue to work with the New Jersey State Police and other law enforcement partners to strike at the source of the drugs fueling addiction in our communities,” said Director Veronica Allende of the Division of Criminal Justice. “By seizing drugs and guns and putting alleged drug dealers behind bars, we are making New Jersey safer.”
“Illegal firearms threaten the safety of our neighborhoods, and drugs like methamphetamine claim and ruin far too many lives,” said Colonel Patrick Callahan of the New Jersey State Police. “We will continue to work with our partners to aggressively target narcotics suppliers in order to shut down distribution routes and remove illegal firearms from our communities.”
The first-degree drug charge carries a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $300,000. Second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $150,000, while the third-degree charge carries a sentence of three to five years in prison and a fine of up to $35,000. Fourth degree charges carry a sentence of up to 18 months in prison and a fine of up to $10,000.
