Passaic County Man Admits Possessing Fentanyl and Firearm in Furtherance of Drug Trafficking
NEWARK, N.J. – A Passaic County, New Jersey, man today admitted illegally possessing fentanyl for distribution and possessing a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Jessie Mayfield, 59, of Paterson, New Jersey, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Evelyn Padin in Newark federal court to an information charging him with one count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Aug. 24, 2021, Mayfield possessed a quantity of fentanyl that was packaged for distribution, with the intent to sell it. He also possessed a Ruger .22 caliber pistol, along with a box containing 95 .22 caliber long rifle cartridges.
The narcotics offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, and a fine of $1 million. The count of being a felon in possession of a firearm and ammunition carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison. The count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. Each firearm count carries a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for March 28, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the members of the New Jersey State Parole Board, under the direction of Chairman Samuel J. Plumeri Jr.; Paterson Police Department, under the direction of Director Jerry Speziale and Police Chief Ibrahim Baycora; and special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bryan R. Miller, Newark Field Division, with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dong Joo Lee of the Narcotics/Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit and Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin of the National Security Unit.
