Gloucester Township Police Department on Tuesday announced drug and weapon charges against two brothers investigators believe were selling oxycodone independent of each other.
Both men—Dominic Hedgepeth, 23, and Pradell Hedgepeth, 25—were the focus of a narcotics investigation that included undercover drug buys between August and October.
A raid of Dominic Hedgepeth's Autumn Ridge apartment on Oct. 25 turned up .380-caliber handgun, a 12-gauge shotgun and a significant amount of oxycodone hydrochloride pills, according to Capt. Anthony Minosse.
Oxycodone hydrochloride, a highly addictive painkiller, is commonly referred to by the brand name OxyContin.
Police allege the younger Hedgepeth brother had sold the pills to undercover officers in the parking lot outside his Autumn Ridge apartment—an apartment police say falls within 1,000 feet of Charles W. Lewis Middle School.
Dominic Hedgepeth was charged with a host of drug and weapon charges, including third-degree distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, third-degree distribution of CDS within 1,000 feet of a school, and fourth-degree illegal transfer of firearms. He was released after posting the required amount of $25,000 bail.
Pradell Hedgepeth, of Wood Thrush Avenue, Sicklerville, was arrested last Friday following a traffic stop on College Drive on an outstanding warrant out of Camden.
K-9 Ptl. James Clark recovered a small bag of heroin, a hypodermic syringe and nine 30 mg oxycodone hydrochloride pills from Pradell Hedgepeth's car subsequent to his arrest on the warrant, Minosse said.
Police allege Pradell Hedgepeth sold oxycodone hydrochloride pills to undercover officers nearby Erial Community Church Christian School in August.
Pradell Hedgepeth was charged with possession of CDS, possession of CDS with intent to distribute and distribution within 1,000 feet of a school. All crimes are of the third-degree. He was lodged in Camden County Jail on $15,000 full cash bail.
