Prosecutor: Four Ounces of Cocaine Recovered from Sicklerville Home

Four people, including a Sicklerville man, were arrested on myriad drug charges after law-enforcement agents from two counties raided homes in Pleasantville and Gloucester Township Thursday morning.

Police seized more than $55,000 in cash believed to be proceeds of narcotics trafficking, two guns and "significant quantities" of heroin and cocaine in the three raids, Atlantic County Prosecutor Ted Housel announced.

Police recovered four ounces of cocaine and approximately $15,000 from the home at 18-A Cottage Gate Rd., in the township's Sicklerville section, according to authorities.

Christopher Scott, 26, of Sicklerville, was arrested and charged with first-degree possession of heroin (more than five ounces) with intent to distribute, third-degree possession of heroin, third-degree possession with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of school property, second-degree possession of cocaine with intent to distribute (more than one-half ounce) and third-degree possession of cocaine.

He was lodged in the Atlantic County jail on $300,000 bail.

Gloucester Township Police and Camden County Prosecutor's Office personnel assisted Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office investigators in the execution of the search warrant in Sicklerville.

The raids came following what Housel labeled a "lengthy investigation" by Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Sgt. James Scoppa and Pleasantville Police Det. Adam Brownlee. The investigation was initiated after a wave of drug-related violence in Pleasantville.

Police recovered more than 5,000 bags of heroin and more than $40,000 from one Pleasantville home and a .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun and a .32-caliber revolver, roughly $1,900, and "large quantities" of heroin and cocaine from a second Pleasantville home, authorities said.

In addition to Scott, the Sicklerville man, police arrested three Pleasantville residents as a result of the drug investigation. They are: Herberto Hines, 22, Earl Cooper, 22, and Shaniqua Cooper, 27.

Shaniqua Cooper was arrested on the charge of third-degree possession of heroin. She was released on a summons.

Both Hines and Earl Cooper were charged with two counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon, third-degree possession of heroin with intent to distribute and third-degree possession of heroin. Hines is also facing a third-degree possession of cocaine charge.

Hines and Earl Cooper were lodged in the Atlantic County jail on $75,000 bail.