United States Drug Enforcement Administration

NEWARK, N.J. - Robert G. Koval, the Acting Special Agent in Charge of the New Jersey Division of the Drug Enforcement (DEA) and Paul J. Fishman, the United States Attorney for the District of New Jersey, announced a Newark man who took part in a conspiracy to distribute more than three kilograms of heroin in New Jersey and Pennsylvania was sentenced today to 298 months in prison.

James Edward Pender, 42, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls to one count of an Indictment charging him with knowingly and intentionally conspiring to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin. Judge Walls imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Beginning in October 2009 Drug Enforcement Administration agents using federal wiretaps intercepted Pender’s telephone conversations. The monitored calls and other law enforcement information revealed that Pender was distributing large amounts of heroin in and around New Jersey. Agents overheard Pender agreeing to buy heroin from others and observed Pender meeting with others on numerous occasions. Agents also learned that Pender delivered and directed others to deliver heroin to individuals in the Monroeville, Pa. area on more than one occasion.

Special agents were also able to track Pender’s movements from New Jersey to the Monroeville area on Dec. 9, 2009, and witnessed him making a drug delivery of approximately four kilograms of heroin, which was seized from the recipient. Several hours later, Pender was stopped for traffic violations by Readington, N.J., police officers as he returned to New Jersey, and $339,000 in drug proceeds was confiscated from Pender at that time.

Pender’s sentence includes 292 months on the drug charge and six months, to be served consecutively, for violation of supervised release. In addition to the prison term, Judge Walls sentenced Pender to five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the DEA’s New Jersey Division, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Robert G. Koval, with the investigation leading to today’s sentence.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sharon Ashe, of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Narcotics/Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force Unit in Newark.