Lawsuit seeks $12G, cars, TVs seized in Hanover drug bust

The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office has filed a lawsuit for forfeiture of $12,455, two cars, televisions, laptops and other electronics seized in February from a trio suspected of selling large quantities of marijuana in the county.

The forfeiture complaint, made public Thursday in state Superior Court, Morristown, seeks to extinguish any property rights that suspects John P. Castano, Sergio A. Lopez and Megan N. Usis may have to the cash, a 2002 BMW M3, a 2009 Nissan Maxima, three flat screen televisions, and computers.

The complaint states that members of the Morris and Bergen County Prosecutor’s Offices received information in January from a confidential informant that Castano and Lopez were allegedly involved “in the sale of large amounts of marijuana and other controlled dangerous substances in the northern New Jersey area.”

Authorities learned that Castano lived on Vista Drive in the Cedar Knolls section of Hanover Township with his girlfriend, Megan Usis. The pair were observed entering and leaving the home multiple times a day and consistently operating the BMW and the Nissan Maxima, the complaint said.

On Jan. 30, detectives spotted Lopez and Castano arriving around the same time at the Vista Drive home. They entered together. Lopez walked in carrying a dark-colored book bag and moments later was observed carrying the same bag as he left, the complaint said.

Lopez on Feb. 13 was again watched as he went into the home carrying a book bag and exited, still carrying the bag, the complaint said. Detectives followed Lopez and he was stopped in Dover. He allegedly agreed to speak to officers and admitted that he was in possession of marijuana -- “the most (he’d) ever had,” the lawsuit said.

Lopez told police the marijuana was inside the book bag in his trunk and that he bought it at the Vista Drive home in Cedar Knolls from a friend named “John.” A search of Lopez’s vehicle turned up two large, clear heat-sealed packages of marijuana. In a later search of Lopez’s apartment in Dover, police found more marijuana and $1,660 in cash, the lawsuit said.

Detectives also went to the Vista Drive home, where they met Usis and Castano. Castano allegedly admitted that he had marijuana, cocaine and handguns inside his home, along with a large amount of cash, the lawsuit said.

Castano and Usis -- who told authorities she had no idea her boyfriend allegedly was selling drugs -- agreed to a search of their home. Police found a .38 Special handgun with seven hollow point bullets, a Sig Sauer 9mm handgun, six Ziploc bags containing cocaine, digital scales, 24 heat-sealed bags containing marijuana, gun parts, three flat screen televisions, laptop computers and $1,875 in cash.

Castano permitted police to search his car, the lawsuit said, and police found $8,920 inside.

“Castano later indicated that this money was proceeds of this drug distribution activity and that he routinely kept the proceeds inside this vehicle to ensure that no one could access it,” the lawsuit said.

Castano told police in an interview that he had distributed about two pounds of marijuana to Lopez earlier that day, and that he had sold marijuana to Lopez and others at his home in the past and in areas in and around Morris County. The lawsuit said that Castano told police he bought the marijuana in New York with the intent to re-distribute it, and he purchased the cocaine found in his home with the intent to re-sell that also, the lawsuit said.

Castano, Lopez and Usis all were charged with various drug-related offenses.

Staff Writer Peggy Wright: 973-267-1142; pwright@GannettDR.com