Crime & Safety

Absecon Fugitives Arrested for Drugs, Weapons

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office and Galloway Police participated in an operation that netted the fugitive couple.

Two fugitives were arrested and drugs, guns and cash were seized following a joint narcotics operations conducted by the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office and the Galloway Township Police Department, Acting Atlantic County Prosecutor James McClain announced Friday afternoon, Sept. 7.

Richard and Kerri Smith, a couple from Absecon, were arrested this week following the investigation, McClain said.

On Wednesday, Sept. 5, Richard Smith, 37, was arrested at the Wawa on Route 30 in Galloway around 8:30 p.m. by members of the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office Guns, Gangs and Narcotics Unit and members of the Galloway Police Department, McClain said. He was wanted out of Atlantic County Superior Court and Galloway Municipal Court for failure to appear on unrelated charges, according to McClain.

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Smith was arrested while attempting to sell cocaine to an undercover detective, McClain said. He used a white Dodge Avenger to meet with the detective. The vehicle was also seized, as was $500 in cash, according to McClain.

Detectives were able to determine that Smith had been residing at the Comfort Inn on Absecon Boulevard in Absecon, McClain said. Following Smith's arrest, detectives went to the Comfort Inn, where they were greeted by Smith's wife Kerri Smith, a.k.a. Kerri Dougherty, also wanted as a fugitive out of Atlantic County Superior Court and Galloway Municipal Court, McClain said.

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After obtaining a search warrant, detectives searched the hotel room and discovered a loaded Jennings 9 millimeter semi-automatic handgun with 11 rounds in the clip, seven Glock magazines, one high-capacity magazine for a Glock handgun, a small bag containing about half an ounce of uncut heroin, numerous bundles of heroin, cocaine, small amounts of marijuana, a scale and CDS packaging material, McClain said.

Kerri Smith was charged with possession of controlled dangerous substances and illegal possession of a firearm, and her bail was set at $150,000, McClain said.

Richard Smith was charged with distribution of controlled dangerous substances in both Galloway and Absecon, and his bail was set at $300,000, McClain said.

Both fugitives were lodged in the Atlantic County Justice Facility on the new charges as well as the fugitive charges, which have no bail, McClain said.


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