A man from Newark NJ is headed to federal prison after pleading guilty to having a role in a gang that sold crack cocaine in Essex County, NJ.

According to authorities, the suspect was a member of the Grape Street Crips, a gang that controlled the drug trade in Newark, New Jersey. The main area where the gang sold the crack cocaine was 6th Avenue at North 5th Street in Newark, NJ.

Essex County police, Newark police, and federal law enforcement investigated the drug distribution network and eventually arrested a number of people, including the suspect

While making the arrests, police allegedly found a large amount of crack cocaine. Police officers also reportedly discovered numerous firearms, including assault rifles and semi-automatic handguns. The weapons had reportedly been stashed in hiding places on the street.

The suspect is a 27-year-old Newark man. He initially faced multiple criminal charges for cocaine distribution and various weapons offenses. However, federal prosecutors allowed him to plead guilty to one count of conspiracy to distribute cocaine; in exchange, they dropped the other criminal charges.

The suspect has now been officially sentenced in the case. He appeared in US District Court in Newark NJ for a formal sentencing hearing and was ordered held in a federal penitentiary for five years. Additionally, the suspect was sentenced to four years of parole after he is released from prison.

For more information about this case, view the NJ.com article, “Newark Member of Crips Gang Gets 5 Years for Drug Offense.”