A legislative aide to an Essex County assemblywoman was arrested last week after police found $700,000 in cash and filed-down handguns in a storage unit in North Bergen.
Middlesex County sheriff’s officers arrested Ekow Yankey, 33, of New Brunswick last weekend after North Bergen Police released a warrant for his arrest.
Yankey had worked as a legislative aide for Essex County Assemblywoman Cleopatra Tucker, who represents the 28th District. In published reports, she said that Yankey worked for her for two years, earning $13,000 annually for community outreach. Tucker has since terminated Yankey from the payroll. Phone calls to Tucker have not been returned.
This warrant stemmed from a sequence of occurrences at the Extra Space Storage Facility on River Road near 83rd Street in North Bergen. A storage locker’s contract had expired, and after numerous written requests for the individual to vacate the storage unit or pay the bill, management cut the lock, said Capt. Robert Dowd.
“It’s obviously money laundering. At this point we just don’t from what.” – Robert Dowd
________
In the fish tank was $100,000, and police found a hidden compartment in the wooden stand carrying an additional $600,000.
Police were able to lift fingerprints from the fish tank. Dowd said that while Yankey allegedly rented the unit in a false name, the storage facility had fingerprinted him.
Both fingerprints matched Yankey’s, along with his 1998 drug distribution conviction.
They are now investigating to see if the cash in the fishtank is also related to a narcotic or gambling operation.
Yankey yanked
During the police investigation Yankey was spotted entering the storage facility parking lot and his vehicle information and description were obtained, police said.
Dowd said that North Bergen then put an alert for his vehicle. Ironically, Yankey was pulled over in North Brunswick soon after that for an unrelated motor vehicle offense. Seeing the alert, Middlesex County sheriffs arrested him.
North Bergen Police travelled to the Middlesex County sheriff’s Office and took Yankey into custody and obtained a search warrant for his vehicle.
Both Yankey and his vehicle, a 2009 Audi SUV, were brought back to North Bergen headquarters.
Yankey was charged with several offenses, including money laundering, possession of a firearm by a felon, possession of a firearm with its serial number removed (a federal offense), and possession of hollow-point bullets.
‘Something was a little fishy’
Dowd said that the North Bergen Police were aided by Sgt. James Holsten, who is a part of the New Jersey State Police Outreach Squad that supervises hotels, motels and storage facilities and the smuggling and narcotics that sometimes is conducted in those places.
“It’s always on our minds to look for suspicious activity,” said Dowd, who explained that Holsten helps the department look for “transient” people who use these places for criminal activity.
When they were processing the evidence in early October, Dowd said that he, Lt. Frank Cannella, and Holsten were carrying the evidence out of the storage unit when they noticed that something about the fish tank stand did not seem “right.”
“We determined together that something was a little fishy about the fish tank,” said Dowd. “It was very heavy. It was bulky.”
When they brought it outside they noticed that it had an electrical receptacle, which didn’t make sense because there was no plug for it to be powered with. Dowd said they dissembled the stand by force and found a hidden compartment inside that contained the additional $600,000.
The money in both the tank and stand had been professionally shrink-wrapped in plastic. Dowd said that they way the money was wrapped, as well as the way it was hidden, led them to believe the money had been laundered from an illegal operation, although police are not yet certain whether drugs or gambling was the source of the cash.
Worked as an aide
After Yankey’s car was towed to the North Bergen Police Department’s garage, a search followed.
Police seized nearly $4,000 in cash, mostly in $5, and three cell phones, which Dowd said is usually indicates narcotic distribution.
K-9 dogs also searched the car and “hit on” the vehicle, indicating that there had allegedly been narcotics in the car at some time, said Dowd.
“He wouldn’t tell us anything, no statement,” said Dowd. “All he would say is that he worked for a legislative aide, but he wouldn’t say for whom.”
While there is no indication that Tucker was involved, Dowd said it was their duty to report the arrest to the State Police Political Corruption Squad.
Investigation ongoing
On Oct. 26 Yankey appeared in Central Judicial Processing Court in Jersey City via video link from the Hudson County Correctional Facility in Kearny. At the hearing bail was set at $250,000 cash or bond.
Hudson County Prosecutor Edward DeFazio said that as of Wednesday, he had not been released on bail and was still being held in jail. He said that any funds used to procure Yankey’s release would have their origins verified.
DeFazio said that the investigation was ongoing by the prosecutor’s office and North Bergen Police with the help of the New Jersey State Police. Dowd said that the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives are also assisting.
Dowd is hopeful that serial numbers will be lifted from the firearms through an acid test, which can lift the numbers from the metal’s “memory.”
“It’s obviously money laundering,” Dowd said. “At this point, we just don’t from what.”
Tricia Tirella may be reached at TriciaT@hudsonreporter.com.