Hamilton, Mercer County, N.J. – New Jersey State Police today led a coalition of law enforcement agencies in charging thirteen subjects on racketeering, drug, and weapons offenses in what has been dubbed Operation Fire Extinguisher.  The yearlong investigation targeted gun and heroin distribution activities by a violent set of the Bloods street gang operating in the Burlington Township, New Brunswick and Franklin Township (Somerset) areas.

More than 16 law enforcement agencies from the federal, state, county and local levels have worked together to reveal a distribution ring in which many of the targets have known or suspected ties to the Bounty Hunter set of the Bloods street gang.

“The Bounty Hunters are a particularly violent set of the Bloods street gang, and the targeted defendants were involved in both drug and gun trafficking,” said Attorney General Anne Milgram. “By taking down this gang’s leader in New Jersey, we are maximizing our effectiveness in disrupting their criminal activities and the violence they have inflicted on our communities.”

“With these arrests, we have stopped a significant source of guns to gang members,” said Major William Toms, Commander of the Intelligence Section of the New Jersey State Police.  “Gangs dealing drugs and guns are dealing death in our state,” he added. 

On August 16th, 2008, Ronald Kinston, aka “Bang Boy,” 30, from Burlington City, was arrested when intelligence revealed that a shipment of handguns would be arriving at his residence from North Carolina.  Four semi-automatic handguns were discovered secreted in the hidden hydraulic compartment of a 2002 Acura.  That car was driven by Torrey Grady, 25, from Leeland, NC, who was arrested and charged with Conspiracy, Receiving Stolen Property, and weapons offenses.  Kinston and Grady are currently in Burlington County Jail. 

A search warrant executed at Kinston’s residence that same day resulted in the seizure of more than 300 decks of heroin, distribution paraphernalia, cash, and hollow point ammunition.  At the time of his arrest, Kinston was wearing a locator bracelet as a condition of parole.  He was restricted to his home except for certain daytime hours on weekdays. 

As an O.G. (Original Gangster) the leader of Bounty Hunter Bloods in New Jersey, Kinston was charged with Racketeering, Conspiracy to distribute CDS (cocaine and heroin), Conspiracy to traffic weapons, Possession of CDS (heroin), Possession with intent to distribute, Possession within 1000 feet of a school zone, and Possession of prohibited ammunition.  Four others arrested in this operation have also been charged with racketeering.  The four guns delivered to Kinston’s home were part of a theft of 24 new guns from a firearms dealer in North Carolina.

The drugs in this investigation have been distributed throughout much of New Jersey.  Daryl Walker, aka “Brody,” 36, of Edison, controlled a drug distribution network in the Middlesex/ Somerset County area.  He is an O.G. in the Bounty Hunter Bloods “Five Line” (a line is a subset).  His distribution network also entered into Essex, Union, Burlington and Monmouth Counties.  Walker was a primary distributor of heroin and Ecstasy in Operation Fire Extinguisher.  The operation is so named because one of the street names for heroin is “fire.”

Today, teams executed search warrants at several locations including Reading Road in Edison, Northumberland Way in Monmouth Junction, and Bayard St. in New Brunswick.

All of those arrested today will be lodged in Middlesex County Jail. List of those charged (PDF)