Twin brothers from New Jersey pleaded guilty on Monday to leading a large narcotics network that distributed crack cocaine and fentanyl in Atlantic City.
Justin and Joseph Suarez, both of Atlantic City, were accused of controlling the drug trade on South Florida Ave. in the city’s Ducktown section and surrounding areas.
Investigators say the 40-year-old twins supplied narcotics to lower-level members of their network, who held and sold the drugs on their behalf, officials said.
On Monday, the Suarez brothers admitted to first-degree charges of leading a narcotics trafficking network and possessing a handgun for an unlawful purpose, the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office said in a news release.
As part of their plea agreement, the brothers accepted lengthy prison terms in exchange for reduced charges and the avoidance of potential life sentences.
Joseph Suarez is expected to receive 28 years in prison and won’t be eligible for parole for 14 years.
Justin Suarez, who is set to serve 25 years with parole eligibility after 12, was enrolled in the Atlantic County Superior Court Recovery Court program at the time of his arrest. He’s expected to receive a concurrent state prison sentence for violating the terms of that program.
The Suarez brothers were among 16 individuals arrested following a months-long investigation led by Atlantic City police, with assistance from the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office, the Drug Enforcement Administration’s Atlantic City Resident Office, and the Liberty Mid-Atlantic High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDTA) Task Force.
In November 2022, officials announced that a wiretap investigation dubbed “Operation Florida Keys” had resulted in the recovery of roughly 40,000 folds of fentanyl individually packaged for sale, more than $85,000 in cash, 5.6 ounces of crack cocaine and two handguns.
The Suarez twins’ mother, 57-year-old Terria Acosta, previously pleaded guilty to financial facilitation of criminal activity after investigators recovered around $45,000 in cash from the trunk of her vehicle.
Under the terms of her plea agreement, she’s expected to be sentenced to four years in New Jersey State Prison.
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