Undercover Operation ‘Papi’ results in 24 arrest warrants

By Walter J. O’Neill, Jr.
Long Branch — A successful undercover police operation called “Papi”resulted in warrants issued for 24 accused narcotics dealers. As of August 28, police had arrested 12 of those individuals and are expecting to nab the others very shortly.

Alfonse Muolo, Public Safety Director in Long Branch, said this was a once-in-a-career opportunity to conduct such an undercover mission.
“We had been talking for a long time about getting one of our own officers on the streets and making hand-to-hand narcotics buys,” said Muolo.
That opportunity presented itself in May, when Long Branch police were able to hire Officer Jesus Otero, a three-year veteran of the Patterson Police Department. As a result of budget cuts Otero lost his job in Patterson, but Long Branch quickly realized how he would be a benefit to their force.
Otero is fluent in Spanish, and a veteran of the U.S. Army who served his country in Kuwait and Iraq. Immediately following his hiring in Long Branch, Otero was placed in an undercover role.
“Led by Detective Sergeant Bard and assisted by all the members of the Detective Bureau, Officer Otero was sent to lower Broadway to purchase narcotics,” said Detective Captain Jason Roebuck. “After a slow start, he became wildly successful. Walking with a fake limp, Officer Otero became known as ‘Papi,’ a Spanish slang term which translates into daddy, to the local population as he walked up and down Broadway.”
Otero would talk with everyone he passed on Broadway, using both English and Spanish.
“He was able to purchase narcotics, both heroin and marijuana, from many sources,” said Roebuck. “He became so well known that local narcotics dealers would flock to him whenever he appeared, arguing over who would sell to him.”
Muolo, who has been a police officer for 24 years, said this was a great chance for Long Branch to get the street level dealers.
“As long as I have been here, we have never had the luxury of having a one of our own operating in an undercover capacity, making hand-to-hand buys,” said Muolo.
Otero was a perfect choice as most of the street level dealers know the local law enforcement officers. So having a fresh new face that was unknown on the streets was a big boost for the police department. “Our new addition, Police Officer Otero has proven himself to be a valuable addition to our agency,” Muolo said.
Roebuck stated that as the summer winds down so did operation Papi. “On August 23, warrants for 24 accused narcotics dealers were drawn up. The Detective Bureau began serving the warrants that afternoon, and as of August 28, 12 have been arrested,” said Roebuck.
Long Branch police officers who assisted in the arrests included Detectives Captain Roebuck, Lieutenant Raymond Chaparro, Sergeants Jeff Pilone and Josh Bard, officers Scott Beaver, Charles Simonelli, Kim Leavy, Todd Coleman, Brendan Cahill, Marshall Brown, Michael Decker, Michael Verdadiero, Brian Garret and David House.
Eleven of the arrestees were Long Branch residents; police did not provide an address for the 12th. Those arrested, and the charges against them, are:
• John Buffaloe, age 64, 3 counts of possession of heroin, 3 counts of distribution of heroin, 3 counts of distribution of heroin in a school zone, 3 counts of distribution of heroin within 500 feet of a park, one count of leader of a narcotics trafficking network, Bail set at $695,000 by Judge Reisner. Buffaloe was transported to Monmouth County Correctional Institution.
• Larry Richardson, age 50, possession of heroin, distribution of heroin, distribution of heroin in a school zone, distribution of heroin within 500 feet of a park, Bail set at $12,500 by Judge Reisner, and he was transported to Monmouth County Correctional Institution.
• George Reed, age 52, 3 counts of possession of heroin, 3 counts of distribution of heroin, 3 counts of distribution of heroin in a school zone, 3 counts of distribution of heroin within 500 feet of a park, Bail set at $37,500 by Judge Reisner, he was transported to Monmouth County Correctional Institution.
• Mark Johnson, age 57, possession of heroin, distribution of heroin, distribution of heroin in a school zone, distribution of heroin within 500 feet of a park. Bail set at $11,500 by Judge Reisner, he was transported to Monmouth County Correctional Institution.
• Lynette Corbett, age 48, possession of heroin, distribution of heroin, distribution of heroin in a school zone, distribution of heroin within 500 feet of a park, Bail set at $5,500 by Judge Reisner, she was transported to Monmouth County Correctional Institution.
• Kelvin (Kink) Moore, age 46, possession of heroin, distribution of heroin, distribution of heroin in a school zone, distribution of heroin within 500 feet of a park, Bail set at $11,500 by Judge Reisner, he was transported to Monmouth County Correctional Institution
• Elmer Jimenez Martinez, age 31, 3 counts of possession of marijuana, 3 counts of distribution of marijuana, 3 counts of distribution of marijuana in a school zone, 3 counts of distribution of marijuana within 500 feet of a park, Bail set at $19,500 by Judge Reisner, he was transported to Monmouth County Correctional Institution.
• Madeline (Ida) Brown, age 39, possession of heroin, distribution of heroin, distribution of heroin in a school zone, distribution of heroin within 500 feet of a park, Bail set at $11,500 by Judge Reisner, she was transported to Monmouth County Correctional Institution
• Stephanie (Peaches) Smith, 39. She was charged with 2 counts of possession of heroin, 2 counts of distribution of heroin, 2 counts of distribution of heroin in a school zone, 2 counts of distribution of heroin within 500 feet of a park, one count of conspiracy, and theft. Bail set at $252,500 by Judge Reisner, Smith was transported to Monmouth County Correctional Institution.
• Patricia Hodge, age 43, 11 counts of possession of heroin, 9 counts of distribution of heroin, 8 counts of distribution of heroin in a school zone, 9 counts of distribution of heroin within 500 feet of a park, Bail set at $1,092,500 by Judge Reisner, she was transported to Monmouth County Correctional Institution.
• Timothy Caster, age 40, possession of heroin, distribution of heroin, distribution of heroin in a school zone, distribution of heroin within 500 feet of a park, Bail set at $40,000 by Judge English, he was transported to Monmouth County Correctional Institution
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James Dotts, 35 years old, 3 counts of possession of heroin, 3 counts of distribution of heroin, 3 counts of distribution of heroin in a school zone, 3 counts of distribution of heroin within 500 feet of a park. Dotts was already housed in the Monmouth County Correctional Institution on other charges, his Long Branch bail was set at $135,000 by Superior Court Judge Scully.