SUMMER JOB WAS GOING FINE UNTIL ARREST AS COKE 'DEALER'

As a summer intern in the criminal drug division in Superior Court in
Bergen County, West New York's Yoel Cajiga was supposed to learn about the
legal system.

He ended up on the other side of the bench.

Cajiga, 21, a student at Fairleigh Dickinson University's campus in
Teaneck, was charged yesterday with distributing more than 10 ounces of
cocaine to undercover officers in June and August. He faces more than 30
years in prison if convicted.

Authorities also said they found cocaine in Cajiga's home in West New York.

"We were surprised," Superior Court Administrator Jon Goodman said. He said
the court does criminal background checks for all summer interns and the
one done on Cajiga showed he had no prior record.

Cajiga's lawyer, John Kotz of Clifton, said his client is a "very
all-American" young man who is the sole caretaker of his elderly
grandfather. He said Cajiga is going to plead not guilty and intends to
pursue an entrapment defense.

"There was a constant pressure on behalf of the investigators for my client
to provide them with 300 grams," Kotz said. "If not for their actions, my
client was not predisposed to engage in the trafficking of narcotics to
such a size and degree."

Cajiga was charged with distributing one ounce of cocaine on June 24, two
ounces on June 28 and a little more than a half-pound on Aug. 5, near the
Thomas Bassano Lakeview Field in Little Ferry, Bergen County Prosecutor
John Molinelli said.

Selling more than five ounces of a controlled substance is a first-degree
crime in New Jersey, carrying a penalty of up to 30 years in prison.

Cajiga was one of about 20 interns working in various offices of the
Superior Court in Hackensack for the summer. Interns typically do filing
work, Goodman said.

The prosecutor's office seized a computer from the offices of Judge Lois
Lipton, for whom Cajiga worked, though officials did not say whether Cajiga
had access to criminal and court records.

"We're trying to give them something that's a rewarding experience,"
Goodman said, referring to the interns. "I don't believe he had any access
to any of our systems. We have to assign them an ID number and we don't
assign (identification) numbers to interns."

Cajiga was being at the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack in lieu of
$100,000 at the Bergen County jail last night.