Tip from Phoenix leads to bust in Mullica marijuana delivery
Posted in Atlantic on Thursday, June 18, 2009 3:10 am Updated: 4:00 am.
By ROB SPAHR, Staff Writer, 609-272-7283 | Posted: Thursday, June 18, 2009 | 3 comments
MULLICA TOWNSHIP - A 48-year-old township woman was charged with multiple drug-related offenses after she received a large shipment of marijuana through the mail, police said.
Detective John Thompson Jr. said police received a tip from an officer at the Maricopa County Sheriff's Department in Phoenix that a large shipment of marijuana was expected to .....Continue Reading
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be delivered to a Mullica residence on June 4.
Police said they arrested Denise Belber, 48, of Elm Street, after 18 pounds of marijuana arrived at her house. Belber was charged with distribution of a controlled dangerous substance, possession of a controlled dangerous substance and conspiracy, police said.
Thompson said the street value of the marijuana delivered to Belber's home was about $30,000.
The shipment was made through a popular parcel delivery company, Thompson said, but the name of the company was not released due to an ongoing investigation.
Thanks to the same tip from the Phoenix officer, Thompson said, police officers in Waterford Township, Camden County, were able to charge 62-year-old Waterford resident Angelo Speranza with the same offenses after 23 pounds of marijuana were delivered to his home.
Thompson said Belber and Speranza operated "drop houses" and that the drugs were intended to be distributed throughout southern New Jersey, in particular Monmouth and Atlantic counties.
"The cooperation between the law-enforcement entities was essential in making these arrests," Thompson said. "If the officer in Phoenix did not make the call, we might not have known when the delivery was happening."
Belber was released from the Atlantic County Jail after posting $20,000 bail, jail officials said Monday.
E-mail Robert Spahr: RSpahr@pressofac.com
