Officials: Passaic Teen Arrested In Drug Bust Had Over $100,000 Stashed In Home

PASSAIC, N.J. (CBSNewYork) -- Police have arrested a New Jersey teenager who they said was selling drugs and had more than $100,000 in cash inside his home.

Caught on surveillance video kissing a wad of cash after allegedly selling drugs, police are concealing the identity of the teen because he's a juvenile, CBS2's Christine Sloan reported.

But police said the 17-year-old is no ordinary teenager. According to authorities, he ran an illegal narcotics operation in front of this mother's apartment in the Chestnut Gardens public housing complex in Passaic.

"They found a large sum of money in the house," said Passaic Public Housing Safety Director Jeffrey Gorley.

Investigators said the teen stayed close to home because he was under house arrest for a gun violation.

Passaic police arrested him and an alleged 25-year-old supplier, Sloan reported.

Inside the teen's bedroom, authorities said they found $110,000 in cash hidden in socks and coat pockets.

"The business was quite lucrative," said Gorley.

Gorley said the cash seized from the teen is more than they got from 70 suspects arrested in a sweep. They moved in because his apartment is next to a playground and 1,000 feet from a school, Sloan reported.

"He was selling to other kids, unfortunately, in the community. Not just kids, but to adults as well," said Gorley.

The arrest was part of a drug crack down in Passaic's six housing complexes, using 168 cameras to make it safer for residents.

"It was pretty bad because you see them, but you're not thinking that's what they're doing," said resident Ann Robertson.

The teenager is charged with drug distribution within 1,000 feet of a school and possession of over 50 grams of marijuana. The adult suspect is being held on $150,000 bail.

Authorities said because of all their cameras and their crack down on drugs since 2013, they have reduced crime in their public housing complexes by 90 percent.