Superior Court, [Date] — Nick Cena Patulot, 54, and Minyan Jiang, 60, were both arrested and charged with methamphetamine trafficking following separate buy-walk operations conducted by the Department of Public Safety-Drug Enforcement Task Force (DETF).
The arrests occurred after both men allegedly sold methamphetamine or “ice” to a confidential informant under surveillance by the task force.
According to court documents, Patulot was arrested after he sold $710 worth of methamphetamine on two separate occasions, November 14, 2024. The meth, which weighed a total of 5.7 grams, was field-tested by task force operatives and tested positive for methamphetamine on both occasions. The sales took place while Patulot was under the watch of the DETF, who had set up the buy-walk operation.
Similarly, Jiang was arrested after he sold $180 worth of methamphetamine across three separate transactions on June 25, 26, and 28. The total amount sold during the operations was 1.88 grams. Like Patulot, Jiang’s product was tested by task force officers, confirming it was methamphetamine.
Court proceedings: Both Patulot and Jiang were arraigned before Superior Court Associate Judge Joseph N. Camacho. The judge set a $100,000 cash bail for each defendant, and they were remanded to the custody of the Department of Corrections following the bail hearing.
Judge Camacho ordered the defendants to return to court for a preliminary hearing on November 27, 2024, at 10 a.m., and an arraignment on December 2, 2024, at 9 a.m..
Both defendants were appointed an Assistant Public Defender, Karie Comstock, for representation, while Assistant Attorney General Frances Demapan appeared on behalf of the prosecution.
Authorities are continuing to crack down on meth trafficking and drug-related crimes, with buy-walk operations being an integral part of the task force’s efforts to combat illegal drug sales in the region.