NEWARK, N.J. — A 32-year-old East Orange man has been sentenced to over six years in federal prison after pleading guilty to multiple narcotics and firearms offenses uncovered during Operation Orange, a multi-agency investigation targeting drug trafficking in Essex County.
Azmar Carter, also known by the alias “Bizzy,” was sentenced on June 10, 2025, to 73 months in prison, followed by three years of supervised release, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
The charges against Carter included:
Distribution of cocaine
Possession with intent to distribute cocaine and heroin
Possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon
Court records indicate that Carter distributed cocaine to undercover officers on two occasions in May and July 2021. A search warrant executed on August 18, 2021, at his East Orange residence and vehicle, yielded:
A Draco AK-47 rifle
A Smith & Wesson AR-style rifle
A .40 caliber pistol
94 rounds of ammunition
Packaged narcotics
$7,177 in cash
The arrest and prosecution were part of Operation Orange, under the Newark Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), a coordinated law enforcement effort established in 2017 to combat violent crime through collaboration between federal, state, county, and local agencies.
The investigation was led by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF) and involved multiple police departments, including those in Orange, East Orange, Elizabeth, Newark, and Belleville. Assistant U.S. Attorney Benjamin Levin, Chief of the OCDETF/Narcotics Unit, prosecuted the case.
Authorities credit the VCI and inter-agency collaboration for dismantling Carter’s drug operations and emphasize that ongoing partnerships are crucial in tackling violent, drug-related crime across North Jersey.
