By Alexis Tarrazi
Senior Reporter

EAST RUTHERFORD (April 3, 2009, 2:35 p.m.) — An alleged drug dealer was arrested in East Rutherford after leading a police lieutenant on a foot race through the borough March 27.

The suspect, James J. Bilardello, 20, of East Rutherford, initially escaped arrest by scaling a 10-foot-tall fence at the rear of Triumph Court.

But, a second officer, Felix Raggozzino, found Bilardello hiding behind a garage at 11 Beech St. in Rutherford, where he was arrested.

Bilardello didn’t go quietly. According to police reports, the suspect punched, kicked and yelled profanities at the officers during the arrest.

He was charged with a laundry list of drug related charges.

“We basically took another drug dealer off the streets,” said East Rutherford Police Lt. Paul Cece, who initially saw Bilardello in the midst of an alleged illegal drug transaction, then pursued him on foot to Triumph Court. “I can honestly tell you neighbors were coming out and thanking us for arresting him.”

The arrest unfolded while Cece was on his way to McKenzie School.

“I drove by Herrick Street and saw three people in a car and it just didn’t look right,” Cece said. “As a police officer you get to know when things don’t look right … I went to investigate further and that’s when I saw the exchange.”

Cece, parked his marked police car behind the green Toyota with Bilardello inside, observed what he said appeared to be a drug transaction between Bilardello and another male in the car.

When Cece got out to investigate, Bilardello also got out of the Toyota and pushed Cece in the chest in order to flee on foot.

During the foot pursuit, Bilardello reportedly was throwing drugs out of his pockets.

When Bilardello escaped over the fence, a police perimeter was set up around the area by East Rutherford and Rutherford police. The Bergen County Police K-9 Unit was also called to assist.

As part of the investigation, Cece and officer Daniel Perry recovered a tin foil packet containing cocaine from the scene.

After obtaining a search warrant from the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office, detectives Todd Roth and Chris DeCarlo along with Lt. Phil Taormina searched Bilardello’s residence, and recovered an exorbitant amount of drug-related items, including: $1,225 cash, multiple bags of marijuana, cigar wrappings allegedly used for smoking marijuana, a marijuana plant leaf, tinfoil packages of cocaine, multiple bags with cocaine and marijuana residue, grow lamps, plant food, empty flower pots and a notebook which appeared to be used as a ledger for drug transactions.

“Based on the grow lamps, Miracle Gro and flower pots, it appears that at one point the defendant may have had a marijuana grow operation inside his room,” according to Roth’s report. “The large bags containing the cocaine residue also led me to believe that Mr. Bilardello was trafficking large amounts of narcotics.”

Bilardello was subsequently charged with aggravated assault on a police officer (fourth degree), two counts possession of cocaine (third degree), two counts of possession of marijuana with the intent to distribute (fourth degree), obstruction, two counts of possession of marijuana, possession of cocaine with the intent to distribute (third degree) and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Bail was set at $27,000 with no 10 percent option by Judge George Savino.

Bilardello was released after posting $27,000 cash.

“The way it went down from start to finish, it was good police work because the guys (Roth, DeCarlo and Taromina), were here all night trying to get a search warrant from the judge,” Cece said. “They started at 3 p.m. and didn’t finish until 2 a.m. … It made coming to work a little bit special to get someone like that off the streets.”