Newark Police Bust Second Illegal 'Bar' In 2 Days: Authorities

Newark NJ

29 December, 2020

10:36 AM

Description

NEWARK, NJ — Another pair of Newark residents have been accused of illegally selling alcohol at a large party amid the coronavirus pandemic, authorities say. Detectives with the Newark Police Department's vice crimes task force received reports about a large gathering taking place in the basement of a home on Taylor Street on Monday, according to the Newark Department of Public Safety. Arriving on the scene around 12:20 a.m., police heard loud music coming from the residence and once inside, saw about 50 people drinking at tables, authorities said. Police said that two people running a "bar" at the party – Argeni Castro-Taveras, 36, and Jesus Vilanueva, 28 – didn't have any paperwork proving they held a license to sell alcohol. Authorities said officers confiscated $775 in illegal alcohol proceeds along with "several bottles of liquor" at the scene. Police arrested Castro-Taveras and Vilanueva and charged them with maintaining an illegal liquor establishment, illegal possession of alcohol and illegal sale of alcohol. The charges were the same for a pair of Newark women accused of illegally selling alcohol at a large warehouse party on Sunday. During that incident, police found more than 200 people drinking, eating and gambling, authorities said. See related article: Newark Cops Find 200 People Partying At Illegal Warehouse 'Bar' Send local news tips and correction requests to [email protected] Keep updated with local public safety alerts at the Patch Newark Facebook page. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Sign up for Patch email newsletters.