Five Township Residents Arrested In ‘Operation X Out;’ Alleged Heroin Ring Busted

Five township residents have been arrested, and a local heroin distribution ring dismantled, in connection with an investigation authorities dubbed “Operation X Out.”

The five face gun- and drug-related charges, according to a press release from the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.

Raids by police yielded heroin and marijuana valued at more than $52,000, as well as a weapon and cash, according to the release.

The investigation encompassed two Somerset County towns – Franklin and Bound Brook, and New Brunswick and Edison in Middlesex County, according to the release.

Charged were Xavier Bailey, aka “X”, 29 and Viridiana Munoz, 30, both of Village Drive; Derrick Johnson, 30 of Lyon Lane; and Harold Lagrone, 67 and Titus Peters, Sr., 49, both of Roberts Road, according to the release.

According to the release, the charges the five face are:

• Xavier Bailey – 1st Degree Leader of a Narcotics Trafficking Network, 1st Degree Promoting Organized Street Crime, 2nd Degree Possession of a Firearm, 2nd Degree  Endangering Welfare of a Child, 1st Degree Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance with Intent to Distribute, 3rd Degree Money Laundering, 3rd Degree Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess a Controlled Dangerous Substance.
• Viridiana Munoz – 2nd Degree Endangering Welfare of a Child, 2nd Degree Possession of a Firearm, 1st Degree Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance with Intent to Distribute, 3rd Degree Money Laundering,  3rd Degree Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess a Controlled Dangerous Substance.
• Derrick Johnson – Two counts of 3rd Degree Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance with Intent to Distribute and 3rd Degree Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess a Controlled Dangerous Substance.
• Harold Lagrone – 3rd Degree Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess a Controlled Dangerous Substance.
• Titus Peters, Sr. – 3rd Degree Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance with Intent to Distribute and 3rd Degree Conspiracy to Distribute or Possess a Controlled Dangerous.

Authorities secured five search warrants, including ones for the homes of Bailey, Peters and Johnson, and found approximately 10,026 wax folds of heroin, approximately half a pound of marijuana, a loaded .40 caliber Smith & Wesson M&P handgun, four motor vehicles, one motorcycle, and $9,361 in cash, which is suspected to be drug proceeds, according to the release.

The heroin has an estimated street value of $50,130 and the marijuana has an estimated street value of about $2,000, according to the release.

No further details about the investigation or the arrests of the five were given by authorities.

Participating in the investigation were the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Franklin Township Police Department, the Edison Police Department, the New Brunswick Police Department, the Bound Brook Police Department, as well as specifically the Somerset County SWAT team, the Middlesex County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Unit, the New Brunswick Police Department Narcotics Unit, the Edison Police Department Narcotics Unit and the Bound Brook Police Department K-9 Unit.

The investigation is ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office at (908) 231-7100 or via the STOPit app. The Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office is utilizing the STOPit app as a platform to allow concerned citizens to provide information about crimes occurring in Somerset County. This app is completely anonymous and users are able to “chat” in real time with law enforcement, as well as send images and videos about crime. The app also has a Get Help section that provides phone numbers and links to important resources available in Somerset County.  The STOPit app can be downloaded to your smartphone for free at the Google Play Store or Apple App Store, access code: “SOMERSETNJ”. Information can also be provided through the Somerset County Crime Stoppers’ Tip Line at 1-888-577-TIPS (8477) or online at www.888577tips.org or at www.scpo.net and click on either “Crime Stoppers” or “TIPS HOTLINE”. All anonymous Crime Stopper tips will be kept confidential.

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