The sad, scary reach of hard drugs

The 14-year sentence for 27-year-old Kurtis Barnes, leader of a drug gang who went by the name "Gotti," will hopefully send out the message U.S. Attorney Chris Christie hopes it will -- ''that drugs and the violence and mayhem they bring to Asbury Park must end."

What truly frightened me was the scope of the dealing of Barnes' group, the Asbury Park Organization -- distribution of about $1 million worth of cocaine and heroin annually. That's incredible. Sounds like they're moving the stuff nonstop. It truly saddens and sickens me to see how widespread the use of those substances are.

Barnes and others bought nearly 7 pounds of heroin and redistributed it throughout Monmouth County over two years. Hopefully, some of his clients will seek help -- the power of drug addiction reaches everywhere, it's not an "inner city" thing. Look at Tenafly, where a borough councilman pleaded guilty this week to heroin possession. Jeffrey Romano, 43, was just reelected in November, receiving more votes than any other candidate. When police arrested him, he had 40 envelopes containing a substance believed to be heroin.