NEWARK, NJ – A federal judge has denied a state prisoner’s attempt to undo his New Jersey convictions tied to a large drug-trafficking operation, rejecting arguments that appellate courts mishandled key facts about how wiretap recordings were sealed after surveillance ended.
In an opinion by U.S. District Judge Zahid N. Quraishi, the court denied a habeas petition filed by Derek Fuqua under 28 U.S.C. § 2254, a procedure that allows state inmates to challenge convictions in federal court. The judge also denied Fuqua a certificate of appealability, limiting his ability to pursue an appeal absent further court permission.
Fuqua’s convictions stem from a guilty plea connected to what state prosecutors described as a drug trafficking organization involving friends and family members. The New Jersey State Police investigation began in 2012 and relied heavily on electronic surveillance authorized under New Jersey’s wiretapping statute. During a 65-day wiretap period from February through April 2013, investigators intercepted nearly 20,000 phone calls and text messages, according to the background summarized in state appellate records…