Seven people, including five from Atlantic County and one from Cumberland County, were indicted Wednesday as a result of three separate narcotics investigations, acting Atlantic County Prosecutor Cary Shill said.
A grand jury indicted Emery Chapman, 42, of Pleasantville; Ebony Chapman, 41, of Absecon; Tennille Lee, 44, of Atlantic City; and Theresa Lockhart, 20, of Millville, in a heroin distribution scheme in Atlantic County that allegedly ran from November 2019 to June 2020.
Malita Scarlett, 31, of Atlantic City; and Alicia Gilliard, 34, of Atlantic City, were charged with possessing narcotics and firearms in March.
Lastly, Richard Mallinson, 53, of Mount Holly, Burlington County, was charged with possessing more than 5 ounces of crystal methamphetamine in March.
Authorities say Emery Chapman directed and conspired with Lockhart, Lee and Ebony Chapman to distribute heroin in the county.
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In January and February 2020, Lockhart sold more than 5 ounces of heroin to an undercover police officer, Shill said in a news release. On June 1, 2020, police executed a search warrant at Lee’s apartment and recovered 393 bricks of heroin totaling about 9½ ounces. Emery Chapman instructed Lockhart, Lee and Ebony Chapman to facilitate transactions and direct payment and schedule pickup of heroin from his supplier in Philadelphia.
Emery Chapman was charged with leading a narcotics trafficking network, possession with intent to distribute 5 ounces or more of heroin, conspiracy to distribute 5 ounces or more of heroin and possession of heroin.
Ebony Chapman and Lee were charged with possession with intent to distribute 5 ounces or more of heroin, conspiracy to distribute 5 ounces or more of heroin and possession of heroin.
Lockhart was charged with distribution of 5 ounces or more of heroin, conspiracy to distribute 5 ounces or more of heroin, three counts of distribution of one-half ounce or more of heroin and three counts of possession of heroin.
In the second investigation, authorities executed search warrants March 11 at the Madison Hotel and at Lighthouse Plaza in Atlantic City. Recovered from Scarlett at the Madison were 27 grams of crystal meth, 16 grams of cocaine and 210 wax folds of fentanyl, Shill said. Recovered from Lighthouse Plaza were 50 wax folds of heroin, more than 5 ounces of crystal meth, three handguns and more than $11,000 in cash.
Scarlett and Gilliard were each charged with possession with intent to distribute 5 ounces or more of crystal methamphetamine, possession with intent to distribute a controlled dangerous substance within 500 feet of a public park, possession with intent to distribute heroin, two counts of possession of a controlled dangerous substance, three counts of possession of a firearm while committing a drug offense and money laundering. Scarlett also was indicted on charges of possession with intent to distribute one-half ounce or more of cocaine, possession with intent to distribute fentanyl, possession of cocaine, possession of fentanyl and three counts of certain persons not to possess firearms.
The third investigation led to Mallinson’s arrest in Absecon on March 23. He was in possession of more than 5 ounces of crystal meth packaged for distribution, Shill said.
Mallinson was charged with possession with intent to distribute 5 ounces or more of crystal methamphetamine and possession of crystal methamphetamine.
The investigations were led by the Liberty Mid-Atlantic HIDTA Task Force and the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Gangs, Guns, & Narcotics Unit, with assistance from multiple state, county and local law enforcement agencies.
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