An Essex County man was convicted last week for ordering and committing three murders and for his role in a large-scale narcotics enterprise.
Michael Healy, 43, of Montclair, was convicted by a federal jury of racketeering conspiracy, conspiracy to distribute narcotics, conspiring to murder a federal witness, three counts of murder in aid of racketeering, and related firearms offenses following a four-week trial before U.S. District Judge Michael E. Farbiarz in Newark federal court.
“Michael Healy ruthlessly ordered murders so that he could protect his narcotics operation and continue to sell large quantities of dangerous narcotics,” U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said. “He recruited men to kill someone he thought was an informant, and even when they killed the wrong person – a bystander – he ordered them to kill his target. He personally pulled the trigger on another victim. Healy’s brazen violence resulted in the senseless killing of three men and caused incredible danger to the community.”
According to court documents and evidence presented at trial:
In February 2018, Healy found out that one of his conspirators in the drug trafficking enterprise (DTE) was cooperating with law enforcement by providing information about the drug enterprise. Healy ordered members of the Bloods in East Orange to kill the informant, referenced in the Indictment as “A.S.”
On Feb. 3, 2018, outside the informant’s residence in Bloomfield, Healy’s conspirators shot and killed a bystander, referenced in the indictment as “Victim-1,” believing the bystander was the informant.
Realizing they killed the wrong person, Healy ordered the Bloods to finish the job, and on March 12, 2018, in Bloomfield, the conspirators killed the informant while walking his dog in the area of his residence.
On April 6, 2018, believing that another member of the enterprise – identified in the indictment as “J.C.” – might also pose a risk to the enterprise, Healy himself shot and killed “J.C.” in Newark.
Healy’s drug trafficking enterprise operated in and around Newark beginning in approximately 2012. Between 2003 and 2012, Healy became a member of the Tree Top PIRU set of the Bloods street gang in Maryland.
In and around 2012, Healy formed and led the Healy drug trafficking enterprise, a large and sophisticated drug distribution organization that obtained, transported and distributed large amounts of cocaine, heroin, fentanyl and marijuana.
Healy used his leadership status in the Tree Top PIRU Bloods to assist him with obtaining suppliers, recruiting and controlling enterprise members, and otherwise conducting operations.
The Healy DTE transported multi-kilogram quantities of controlled substances from California to New Jersey by various means, including private aircraft, vehicles with hidden secret compartments, and the U.S. Postal Service.
The Healy DTE then processed and repackaged the controlled substances at various “stash houses” in New Jersey. The Healy DTE distributed some of the controlled substances in New Jersey, including through Bloods gang members in East Orange.
Thomas Zimmerman, Tyquan Daniels, and Ali Hill – all members of the Brick City Brims subset of the Bloods street gang in East Orange – previously pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy for their respective roles in the murders of Victim-1 and A.S.
Zimmerman was sentenced to a 37-year term of imprisonment; Daniels was sentenced to a 35-year term of imprisonment; and Hill was sentenced to a 25-year term of imprisonment. In addition, on Feb. 22, Leevander Wade pleaded guilty to racketeering conspiracy for his roles in all three murders. His sentencing is scheduled for June 25.
The counts of racketeering conspiracy, murder in aid of racketeering, discharge of a firearm resulting in death, and conspiracy to murder a federal witness are all punishable by a maximum of life in prison and a $250,000 fine. The counts of use of a firearm in furtherance of violent crime are punishable by a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine. The count of conspiracy to distribute controlled substances is punishable by a mandatory 10 years in prison, a maximum of life in prison and a $10 million fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 1, 2024.
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of special agent in charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Fritz G. Fragé; the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, the East Orange Police Department; the Montclair Police Department, the Maryland Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services, Intelligence and Investigative Division, under the direction of Secretary Robert Green; the Ohio State Highway Patrol, under the direction of Colonel Charles A. Jones.
The government was represented by Senior Trial Counsel Robert L. Frazer and Assistant U.S. Attorney Samantha C. Fasanello. Defense counsel was Stephen Turano and Thomas Ambrosio.
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