Ocean County Resident Receives Prison Sentence for Drug Distribution

Ocean County Resident Receives Prison Sentence for Drug Distribution

Following a 2023 drug investigation that resulted in several narcotics charges, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced Thursday that a man from South Toms River has been sentenced to seven years in New Jersey State Prison.

Judge Kenneth T. Palmer of the Superior Court sentenced 39-year-old Angel Perez for his guilty plea to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute. On May 9, Perez entered the plea.

The accusations are related to an investigation that was conducted on September 27, 2023, near the Presidential Apartments in Toms River. Detectives from the Special Enforcement Team of the Toms River Township Police Department saw two cars parked next to each other and saw a woman get out of one and get into the passenger side of the second car, which Perez was driving.

As Perez exited the vehicle, Detectives observed a quantity of cocaine in plain view on the driver’s side floorboard of the vehicle.

Perez was placed under arrest and charged with Possession of More than One Half Ounce of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute, Possession of Cocaine, and Wandering to Obtain/Distribute a Controlled Dangerous Substance; he was thereafter transported to the Ocean County Jail.

On September 28, 2023, Detectives executed a court-authorized search warrant on Perez’s vehicle.

As a result, law enforcement seized additional quantities of cocaine, oxycodone, suboxone, hashish, and drug paraphernalia.

Perez was charged accordingly and served with the additional charges at the Ocean County Jail. On October 10, 2023, Perez was released from the Ocean County Jail as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform.