Indictments Handed up Aug. 25

COURT HOUSE – A Cape May County grand jury handed up the following indictments Aug. 25:
“Operation Dream Chaser”
The results of a large and complex narcotics investigation paid dividends this week with 18 individuals indicted. Dubbed “Operation Dream Chaser” by County Prosecutor Robert Taylor, the investigation netted the alleged leaders of a major drug distribution network in the county.
Javier Alicia-Garcia, 34, of Ocean View, was indicted as the leader of a narcotics trafficking network, a first degree crime. He is in the Cape May County Correctional Center under $500,000 bond according to jail records. In all Alicia-Garcia and 16 others face 11 counts as part of an operation that, authorities believe, put a significant dent in the county’s drug trafficking.
Search warrants were issued and executed for 10 different properties from Ocean View to North Cape May in a coordinated multi-jurisdictional effort. According to the Prosecutors Office, 16,000 bags of heroin were seized with a street value of $281,000 along with over $150,000 in cash.
Three others, Melissa Lyston, 29, of Ocean View, Ariel Rodriguez, 21, of Philadelphia, and Gadiel Santiago, 34, of Villas, are also under $500,000 bond and charged with first-degree crimes for distribution and conspiracy. Lyston is listed as a hairdresser, Rodriquez as a store clerk, and Santiago as a custodian.
Gadiel Santiago was also found in possession of a firearm, a Colt 1911 .45 caliber handgun. Possession of the weapon, along with hollow point bullets, and the fact that he had previously been convicted for distribution in the county, brought additional charges for Santiago, including certain person, second degree, possession of a prohibited device, fourth degree, and possession of a weapon while committing certain controlled dangerous substance (CDS) crime, second degree. These are in addition to the charge for possession with intent to distribute heroin.
Others indicted, both for possession with intent to distribute heroin and for conspiracy include David Fessler, 34, a commercial fisherman from Wildwood, Shawn Peterson, 36, a hairdresser from North Cape May; Rafael Delgado, 54, unemployed from Wildwood, Michael Kendrick, 41, listed as a laborer from Court House, David Butler, 66, a taxi cab driver, Joel Candelaria, 27, a laborer from Wildwood, Janelle Lyston, 61, unemployed from North Cape May, and Vicente Alicia-Garcia, 35, unemployed from Wildwood.
Also indicted for conspiracy and intent to distribute were: Mario Pegan-Perez, 27, Norman A. Rosario-Mastache, Juan Rodriguez-Roman, 32, Christine Pagan, and Alvin Mercado-Osorio. One individual, Jamie L. Krail, 38, of Del Haven, was indicted for possession of cocaine.
State Police along with municipal police departments across the county participated in the investigation, as did the Atlantic and Cumberland counties prosecutors’ offices.
Russell J. Percenti
Russell J. Percenti was indicted for criminal mischief, fourth degree, and possession of a weapon for unlawful purposes, second degree. The charges stem from an incident Sept. 26, 2014 when Percenti, 33, a waiter at a local Lower Township establishment, allegedly used a shotgun to shoot down a drone being used by an individual to take pictures of a house under construction.
Hobby drones have become increasingly popular but laws regulating their use are lagging their growing popularity. The home the drone was attempting to take pictures of borders Percenti’s residence.
Anthony W. Crescenzo, Michelle Freeman, Rodney Wright
It was a bad day for Anthony Crescenzo, 49, of Court House. The grand jury returned two separate indictments. In one he was indicted for shoplifting merchandize valued in excess of $500 from a Rio Grande market May 13. Separately, he was indicted for the same crime for an incident June 6 at the same store.
On June 6, Crescenzo allegedly stole over $1,000 in beef and seafood as part of a conspiracy with Michelle Freeman, 52, of Cape May, and Rodney Wright, 54, of Court House. Freeman and Wright drove Crescenzo to the store.  According to the indictment, their purpose was allegedly to deal in the stolen food.
Joseph Fitzgerald
Joseph Fitzgerald allegedly brought a stolen 2005 Harley Davidson motorcycle into the state and to Wildwood on Sept. 7, 2013. He was indicted for receiving stolen property, a third degree crime. When Fitzgerald was arrested he was also found to be in possession of Schedule II methamphetamines earning him an additional 2 count indictment for possession of a CDS.
Theresa Young, Stephanie Harvatt
In separate incidents, both in Middle Township, Theresa Young, on July 23, and Stephanie Harvatt, on July 28, allegedly attempted to defraud the administration of a drug test, a third-degree crime. In both cases the women were under supervised administration in connection to a previous offense. The drug testing was a requirement of supervision. 
The individuals are only charged with the offenses and are presumed innocent until proven guilty.