OCEAN COUNTY – Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced today that two people were arrested and charged on Nov. 26 following a multi-jurisdictional investigation into drug activity in northern Ocean County.

H J Zaker Sindel, 26, of Brick Township and Mary C. Mazzi, 38, of Berkeley Township were arrested and charged with various drug and weapons charges.

Sindel was charged with:

1st Degree Maintaining a CDS Production Facility.

2nd Degree Possession of a firearm during the commission of a CDS Offense.

2nd Degree Possession of a firearm while being a “Certain Persons” to not possess firearm.

2nd Degree Possession with the Intent to Distribute Over one-half ounce of Heroin/Fentanyl.

3rd Degree Possession of Heroin/Fentanyl.

3rd Degree Possession with the Intent to Distribute Over one ounce of Marijuana.

4th Degree Possession of over Fifty Grams of Marijuana.

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Disorderly Persons Offense).

Mazzi was charged with:

1st Degree Maintaining a CDS Production Facility.

2nd Degree Possession with the Intent to Distribute Over one half ounce of Heroin/Fentanyl.

Possession of Drug Paraphernalia (Disorderly Persons Offense).

During the multi-jurisdictional investigation, law enforcement discovered that pills were being illegally manufactured and sold as prescription pain medications, such as Oxycodone and Alprazolam “Xanax”, containing heroin and fentanyl.

On Nov. 26, OCPO detectives, members of the Brick and Berkeley Police Departments and the Ocean County Sheriff’s K-9 Unit executed search warrants at Sindel and Mazzi’s residences in Brick and Berkeley.

“During the execution of the search warrants, a second-degree quantity of suspected heroin/fentanyl, three handguns, and manufacturing equipment/paraphernalia were located and seized by Detectives,” stated Prosecutor Billheimer. “As a result of the investigation and search warrants, both Sindel and Mazzi were arrested, charged, and subsequently transported to the Ocean County Jail where they were housed pending their Detention Hearings.”

The pills laced with heroin and fentanyl closely resemble the legitimate prescription Oxycodone, stated the prosecutor.

Billheimer reminds the public of “the dangers of purchasing prescription pills without a prescription and outside of a licensed pharmacy. These pills may contain heroin, fentanyl or other unknown and dangerous, sometimes fatal, substances.”