OCEAN COUNTY – Two men have pled guilty to running an illegal drug facility after police found them possessing several drugs and firearms.
On October 26, Jose Quintero-DeJesus, 37, of Brick, and Victor Mendoza-Gutierrez, 26, of Manchester, pled guilty to Maintaining a Controlled Dangerous Substance Production Facility.
In 2020, Brick Police arrested Quintero-DeJesus after performing a traffic stop. Mendoza-Gutierrez was apprehended at his home in Manchester.
Multiple police departments then searched their homes and seized firearms, approximately 1,050 grams of cocaine, 20 grams of methamphetamine, a quantity of marijuana, drug paraphernalia indicative of distribution purposes, a high-end security system, and approximately $30,000 in cash.
Both Quintero-DeJesus and Mendoza-Gutierrez were arrested and charged. Quintero-DeJesus has been lodged in the Ocean County Jail since his arrest and Mendoza-Gutierrez was charged on a summons and released pending future court appearances.
At the time of their sentencing on December 17, the State will be seeking a term of eight years New Jersey State Prison for each defendant.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer acknowledged the efforts of Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke who is handling the case on behalf of the State, as well as the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Asset Forfeiture Unit, Ocean County Regional SWAT Team, Northern Ocean County/Monmouth Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force (HIDTA), Manchester Township Police Department Narcotics Enforcement Team, Brick Township Police Department Street Crimes Unit, Brick Township Police Department K-9 Unit, Brick Township Police Department SERT, Lakewood Police Department Street Crimes Unit, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, for their collaborative efforts in connection with this investigation resulting in Quintero’s and Mendoza-Gutierrez’s guilty pleas, and soon their state prison sentences.
