Federal and state authorities have charged 26 individuals, including the alleged leader of an Elizabeth-based criminal organization, with operating a violent open-air drug market in Newark.
The group, known as the “Double ii – Queen Street Blood Gang,” stands accused of distributing heroin, fentanyl, and cocaine while employing intimidation and violence to maintain control over its territory.
Rabiyah Sorey, 43, of Elizabeth, faces the most serious charges, including first-degree racketeering, conspiracy, weapons offenses, and drug distribution.
Prosecutors allege she directed the gang’s operations from a production facility in Elizabeth while overseeing a network of distributors and enforcers in Newark’s North 9th Street area, referred to in court documents as the “Newark Set.”
“These defendants are accused of running a brazen drug trafficking network that brought violence and disorder to a Newark neighborhood,” said Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin. “Their alleged conduct—using force to maintain dominance and retaliate against rivals—endangered the entire community.”
The charges stem from a multi-agency investigation involving the Division of Criminal Justice (DCJ), Newark Police, Elizabeth Police, and the New Jersey State Police. Court filings describe a pattern of violence linked to the organization, including shootings tied to disputes over drug proceeds and territorial control.
One incident detailed in the complaint alleges that on April 19, 2023, Sorey and an associate, Nicole Jones, 47, were involved in a road rage altercation in Irvington that ended with Sorey allegedly ordering associates to shoot at two individuals, one of whom was struck.
Ballistics evidence later connected the same firearm to another shooting in Newark on April 21, 2024, in which Sorey allegedly fired a handgun during a domestic dispute.
Additional violent acts attributed to the group include the July 2023 shooting of a female associate who allegedly owed Sorey money from drug sales, as well as a July 2024 incident in which a victim identified as “A.C.” was shot three times on North 12th Street.
Surveillance footage captured the attack, showing the injured man crawling away as blood poured from his arm.
Authorities also allege that the gang maintained a drug packaging operation at Sorey and Jones’ Elizabeth residence, where detectives recovered 91 grams of raw heroin, stamped glassine bags, and more than $17,000 in cash during a March 2025 raid.
A separate search at a U-Haul facility yielded an assault rifle linked to the organization.
Newark Public Safety Director Emanuel Miranda praised the collaborative effort behind the takedown, stating, “This operation sends a clear message that Newark will not tolerate criminal enterprises that profit from addiction and violence.”
The remaining defendants face charges ranging from drug distribution to weapons offenses. All are presumed innocent unless proven guilty. The case is being prosecuted by the DCJ Major Threats Division, with assistance from multiple law enforcement agencies.