On June 10, 2025, an East Orange man was sentenced to 73 months in federal prison after being convicted of various drug and firearms violations revealed during a multi-agency drug trafficking operation in Essex County.
Azmar Carter, better known as “Bizzy,” 32, pled guilty to cocaine trafficking, possession with intent to distribute heroin and cocaine, and illegal possession of firearms and ammunition while a convicted felon. The punishment was handed down by U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court, and it includes three years of supervised release following imprisonment.
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The charges arose from a 2021 investigation into a narcotics trafficking ring that operated in and around Orange, New Jersey. According to court documents and hearings, Carter was found to have distributed cocaine to undercover law enforcement on two separate occasions that year, in May and July. On August 18, 2021, a subsequent search of his East Orange home and car revealed a Draco AK-47 rifle, a Smith & Wesson AR-style rifle, a a.40 caliber handgun, 94 rounds of ammo, narcotics packaged for distribution, and roughly $7,177 in cash.
This case is part of Operation Orange, a bigger law enforcement action led by the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI). Established in 2017, the VCI brings together federal, state, county, and municipal authorities to fight violent crime in the greater Newark area through coordinated investigations and prosecutions.
The investigation was conducted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Chief of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit in Newark, and included the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives (ATF), as well as various municipal police departments in Orange, East Orange, Elizabeth, Newark, and Belleville.
Authorities underline that cooperation programs such as VCI are critical to breaking the cycle of drug-related violence and holding armed criminals accountable.
