Narcotics Investigation At Jersey City Storefront Leads To 5 Arrests

Members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office Gang Task Force have arrested five individuals after investigating reports that narcotics transactions were being conducted within a Jersey City storefront.

According to Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez, the Gang Task Force, with assistance from Hudson County Regional SWAT, the Jersey City Police Department, and the Hudson County Sheriff’s Office, conducted a court-authorized search on Wednesday, February 5, 2025 of Kaelyn Deli and Grocery, located at 156 Martin Luther King Drive.

A press release states, “During the search, investigators recovered various quantities of suspected cocaine, heroin, drug paraphernalia, and money in various locations throughout the storefront. As a result, five individuals were charged with various narcotics offenses, including conspiracy and distribution:

• Donte Carlisle, 32, of Jersey City, was arrested on Wednesday, February 5, 2025.
• Marc Jeune, 19, of Jersey City, was arrested on Wednesday, February 5, 2025.
• Elvin Borbon, 32, of Jersey City, was arrested on Wednesday, February 5, 2025.
• Rodney Chappel, 38, of Jersey City was arrested on Tuesday, February 11, 2025.
• Aliquan Hatten, 38, of Jersey City, was arrested on Tuesday, February 18, 2025.”

Following the court-authorized search of the storefront, the Jersey City Department of Health and Human Services ordered the business to cease operating and issued the store’s owner multiple citations for violating city health codes.

The above charges are merely accusations and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty.