Federal Court Sentences Toms River Man to 12.5 Years Behind Bars

Federal Court Sentences Toms River Man to 12.5 Years Behind Bars

According to authorities, on Wednesday, March 26, a 38-year-old man from Toms River entered a guilty plea to illegally possessing a handgun and cocaine, and was sentenced to more than 12 years in prison.

In federal court in Camden, Masta Redding, 38, had previously entered a guilty plea to an indictment that charged him with one count of possessing a pistol and ammunition with the intent to distribute a prohibited substance and one count of being a convicted felon.

The complaint claims that starting in September 2019, law enforcement began monitoring Redding.

According to the complaint, he sold cocaine to a confidential source multiple times in the Toms River area.

When police raided his house on March 5, 2020, they discovered cocaine, a Jimenez firearm, $4,185 in cash on a kitchen counter, and a digital scale that had cocaine residue on it.The complaint claims that there was a 380 caliber handgun in the hallway closet that was loaded with six bullets.

In an affidavit he gave to federal officials after his detention, Redding hired someone else to make a bogus claim to possess the cocaine and the weapons. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Redding acknowledged the ruse.

Redding was also ordered on Wednesday to forfeit the pistol and ammunition. After his jail term is up, he will serve three years of supervised release. He was previously convicted of a drug dealing charge in 2014, court records showed.