TOMS RIVER – A Seaside Heights man will serve eight years in New Jersey State Prison following his sentencing for possession of heroin in an amount greater than once half ounce along with intent to distribute violations.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer reported on January 17, that Rayvon Thomas, 34, had received his sentence by the Honorable Rochelle Gizinski, J.S.C., as a result of a guilty plea.
Judge Gizinski imposed a 42 month period of parole ineligibility. Thomas pled guilty to this charge on October 21, 2019. The charge stemmed from a March 21, 2019 incident involving response from members of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force, Ocean County Regional SWAT Team, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, Seaside Heights Police Department, and Toms River Police Emergency Services Unit and Special Enforcement Team.
Those units simultaneously executed no-knock search warrants at locations in Seaside Heights and Toms River and as a result, law enforcement seized quantities of raw unpackaged heroin and quantities of heroin packaged for resale, as well as quantities of “crack” cocaine and marijuana. Drug paraphernalia associated with the manufacture, production and distribution of heroin was also seized.
Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledged the work of Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke who prosecuted the case on behalf of the State, as well as the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force, Ocean County Regional SWAT Team, Seaside Heights Police Department, Toms River Township Police Department Emergency Services Unit and Special Enforcement Team, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit for their combined assistance in bringing Thomas to justice and securing his significant state prison sentence.
