Camden Crack Kingpin Miller Gets 8 Years

CAMDEN, N.J. – Harold Miller, 41, of Sewell, New Jersey, is headed to federal prison for nearly nine years after being sentenced today to 106 months for overseeing a brutal crack cocaine operation that poisoned the streets of Camden. Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick didn’t mince words, announcing the sentence as a blow against the city’s persistent drug trade.

Miller pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez to one count of conspiracy to distribute and to possess with intent to distribute cocaine base. The charge stems from a 15-month investigation initiated in September 2015 by the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force. The operation centered around a single block – Pfeiffer Street – where Miller and his crew relentlessly peddled crack to anyone with cash.

Investigators uncovered a sophisticated network. Members of the organization openly sold crack to both a confidential informant and walk-up/drive-by customers. Crucially, the FBI secured court-authorized wiretaps that caught Miller and his co-conspirators discussing their illegal activities in detail. Evidence revealed Miller wasn’t just a participant; he was the boss, managing and directing the entire operation. His arrest on September 2, 2015, began the unraveling of the Pfeiffer Street crew.

Miller isn’t the only one facing consequences. Rasheed Wise, Rodney Wall, and David Wilkerson, all of Camden, previously copped pleas for their involvement. Wall already began serving a 100-month sentence in May 2017, and Wilkerson is doing 77 months, handed down in April 2017. Wise is still awaiting his day in court. Judge Rodriguez didn’t show Miller any leniency, tacking on three years of supervised release to the 106-month prison term.

The bust represents a collaborative effort between multiple agencies. Fitzpatrick specifically praised the work of the FBI’s South Jersey Violent Offender and Gang Task Force, the Camden County Police Department, the Camden County Prosecutor’s Office, and the N.J. State Police. Special Agent in Charge Michael Harpster of the FBI’s South Jersey Resident Agency led the federal effort. Camden Police Chief J. Scott Thomson and Prosecutor Mary Eva Colalillo were also instrumental, along with N.J. State Police Col. Rick Fuentes.

Deputy Attorney-in-Charge Matthew J. Skahill of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden prosecuted the case. Miller was represented by Christopher H. O’Malley Esq., of the Assistant Federal Public Defender’s Office. While Miller’s conviction closes one chapter, the Grimy Times will continue to monitor Camden’s drug landscape, exposing the predators who prey on the city’s vulnerable.