TOMS RIVER – A Cranbury resident may be facing as much as 11 years in prison related to drug charges that he pled guilty to on Sept. 13.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said David Jones, 45, of Cranbury, pleaded guilty to possession with the intent to distribute heroin before Judge Rochelle Gizinski.
The State will be recommending a sentence of eight-and-one-half years in New Jersey State Prison with a 51-month period of parole ineligibility. The State will also be recommending a sentence of three years relative to Jones’ guilty plea to a separate charge of conspiracy to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute.
Jones is scheduled to appear before Judge Gizinski on Nov. 1 and the State will recommend that his sentences run concurrently. Jones was arrested and charged on Feb. 26, following a nearly two-month long investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force.
The probe involved illegal drug activity in Ocean, Monmouth, and Mercer counties. Search warrants were executed on Feb. 26 at an apartment in East Windsor as well as two vehicles. The warrants led to the discovery of evidence revealing that Jones was in possession of illegal narcotics for purposes of distribution in the tri-County area.
Prosecutor Billhimer noted the hard work of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force which will result in a lengthy State Prison term for Jones.
The prosecutor also thanked the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, Mercer County Criminal Investigations Unit, Mercer County Tactical Response Team, Mercer County Sheriff’s Department, Mercer County Special Investigations Unit, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, and Ocean County Transportation Department for their collective assistance leading to Jones’ arrest and prosecution.
