Hakeem Vanderhall, left, and Eric Concepcion. (Essex County Correctional Facility)
NEWARK — Two North Jersey men admitted Wednesday to Nakitbahis having served as crack cocaine wholesalers for a violent city street gang.
Hakeem Vanderhall, 32, and Eric Concepcion, 30, both pleaded guilty to charges prosecutors say will see them each serve 18 years in federal prison.
The two men admitted their guilt to racketeering conspiracy and conspiracy to distribute crack cocaine before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo, according to the office of U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman.
Court records show Vanderhall, of East Orange, and Concepcion, of Clifton, were among dozens of alleged members of the Grape Street Crips charged under separate criminal complaints in May 2015, the result of what prosecutors said was a long-term investigation by Drug Enforcement Administration and the FBI.
Some of those gang members, from whom investigators say they seized numerous firearms, previously were implicated in a plot to kill an undercover FBI agent.
Prosecutors say Vanderhall and Concepcion shared a dedicated cellphone with several other gang members to take orders for thousands of “clips” of crack, which they distributed to other dealers and gang members.
In addition to the prison terms, prosecutors say each man will serve five years of supervised release under the terms of the plea agreements. Both Vanderhall and Concepcion are scheduled to be sentenced on May 16.
Thomas Moriarty may be reached at tmoriarty@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter at @ThomasDMoriarty. Find NJ.com on Facebook.
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