Crime & Safety

Area Men Had 321 Bags of Heroin, Police Charge

Charges include intent to distribute within 500 feet of a park

By Gregory Kyriakakis

A pair of young men from the area conspired to manufacture and sell drugs, Middletown police charged this week, after they allegedly found them in possession of more than 300 bags of heroin.

Rachel T. Certo, 27, of Holmdel, and George Sayegh, 31, of Leonardo, allegedly used text messages to set up a drug deal on Dec. 21, according to a criminal complaint signed by Patrolman James Beirne.

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The pair allegedly attempted to set up a deal with “Joe Snow” on Sayegh’s cell phone which would have required use of Certo’s vehicle, police said.

Police charged that the pair possessed 321 bags of heroin and intended to distribute the drug while within 500 feet of a park—the Henry Hudson Trail—according to the complaint.

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The pair also allegedly possessed “numerous” Xanax pills without a prescription, police said.

Bond was set at $35,000 and $25,000 for Sayegh and Certo, respectively. They both remain in custody at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution, according to inmate records.


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