Ralph's Deli Reopens As Details in Drug Sting Emerge

Officials released information regarding an undercover police operation that led to the arrest last week of a longtime neighborhood deli owner.

An informant bought two Ziploc bags of marijuana from Ralph Jawad, 48, while he worked behind the counter of his Lafayette Avenue deli on Thursday at 7:30 p.m., according to a complaint filed by District Attorney Charles Hynes in Brooklyn Criminal Court.

The complaint said the informant walked into the deli and made a signal to Jawad, who was in his office in the rear of the building while two employees, Juan Morino-Muroz and Julio Tapia, were behind the counter.

Jawad briefly conferred with Morino-Muroz and Tapia before handing over the pot in exchange for an unspecified amount of cash, according to the complaint. 

After arresting the three men, police found more baggies filled with pot, bottles of controlled prescription narcotics like oxycodone and two loaded guns.

One of the firearms—a .25 caliber pistol—was hidden in a box of sugar packets behind the counter, according to the complaint.

Shuttered the day after Jawad's arrest, Ralph's Deli has since reopened. Two deli employees, who declined to be identified, would not comment on the case.

Arraigned on Friday, Jawad's bail was set at $25,000, according to the Brooklyn DA. His next court appearance is on Oct. 24.

A Fort Greene fixture known for helping residents in need, Jawad was the recipient of messages of support from Patch readers as news broke of his arrest.

"This is what the police in Brooklyn are spending their time and energy on? Geez, I feel much safer...," wrote reader Corine Horeth. "Free Ralph!"