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September 9, 2021
Trenton, NJ (MERCER)–The New Jersey State Police have arrested Malcolm Echols, 29, Abdul Patilla, 40, and Anthony Brown, 29, all of Trenton, N.J., and seized $70,000 worth of drugs and $23,000 cash.
On August 27, 2021, while investigating alleged drug activity in Trenton, detectives with the New Jersey State Police Crime Suppression Central Unit along with members of the New Jersey State Police Opioid Enforcement Task Force obtained information that narcotics were being distributed out of a residence on Fulton Street.
Through various investigative means, detectives determined that Echols, Patilla, and Brown were distributing narcotics in the area and operating out of the residence. Later that day, detectives executed search warrants at the residence and on a vehicle registered to Brown. As a result, detectives arrested Echols, Patilla, and Brown and seized five pounds of marijuana, more than two pounds of ecstasy pills, and $23,000 cash.
Malcolm Echols was charged with possession of ecstasy with intent to distribute, possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a park, and money laundering. Abdul Patilla was charged with money laundering and loitering. Anthony Brown was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute and money laundering. They were all lodged at the Mercer County Jail pending a bail detention hearing.
To date, the OETF has conducted 227 enforcement operations and seized more than 1,013,016 individual doses of packaged opioids valued at $5,065,080, more than 93 kilograms of raw heroin valued at $5,580,000, more than 84 kilograms of fentanyl valued at $4,200,000, more than 76,000 fentanyl based pills valued at $760,000, more than 55 kilograms of cocaine valued at $1,980,000, more than 27 kilograms of methamphetamine valued at $270,000, more than $4,174,962 in U.S. currency, and 205 firearms. The OETF has also disrupted or dismantled 46 fully operational opioid packaging facilities, seven fully operational fentanyl pill-pressing operations, and arrested 486 suspects during this time.
This case is being prosecuted by the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office.
Charges are merely accusations, and the accused are presumed innocent until proven guilty.