Duo Charged After Police Discover Hidden Drug Compartment During Traffic Stop

the staff of the Ridgewood blog

Carlstadt NJ, Bergen County Prosecutor Mark Musella announced the arrests of PEDRO A. LUCIANO (DOB: 7/26/1988; single; unemployed) of 68 Hawthorne Lane, Willingboro, NJ and PAUL HARRIS (DOB: 6/28/1985; single; unemployed) of 1313 Morton Street, Camden, NJ on the charge of Possession With The Intent To Distribute Cocaine. The arrests are the result of an investigation conducted by the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office under the direction of Chief Robert Anzilotti.

On Wednesday, December 2, 2020, detectives from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force conducted a motor vehicle stop on I-95 South in Carlstadt, NJ. A search of the vehicle revealed two electronically operated aftermarket hidden compartments containing approximately one kilogram of suspected cocaine.

The driver, PEDRO A. LUCIANO, and the passenger, PAUL HARRIS, were each charged with one count of Possession With The Intent To Distribute Cocaine, in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5b(1), a 1st degree crime. Both individuals were subsequently transported to the Bergen County Jail where they will await their first appearances before Central Judicial Processing.

Prosecutor Musella states that the charges are merely accusations and that the defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt.