Barnegat Man Admits Guilt To Narcotics Distribution & Weapon Charge

Sunday, September 15, 2024, 11:15 A.M. ET. 1 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

BARNEGAT, NJ.- Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer reported that on Monday, September 9, 2024, Clifford Holland, 48, of Barnegat, New Jersey, appeared in Ocean County Superior Court and entered guilty pleas before Superior Court Judge Dina M. Vicari to Possession of One-Half Ounce of Cocaine with Intent to Distribute; and Unlawful Possession of a Weapon by a Previously Convicted Felon. 

     In return for the guilty pleas, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office will recommend that Holland, when sentenced on October 25, 2024, be sentenced to three years in New Jersey State Prison for the narcotics charge and 12 years in New Jersey State Prison for the weapons charge, with a mandatory six-year term to be served before becoming eligible for parole. The Prosecutor’s Office will request that sentences run concurrently.

Investigation Uncovers

     The guilty pleas stem from an investigation that unfolded on February 23, 2024, when, during an ongoing narcotics investigation, Detectives of the Barnegat Township Police Department Crime Reduction Unit, the Ocean County Narcotics Strike Force, with the assistance of the Stafford Township Police Department and Ocean County Regional SWAT Team, executed a court-authorized search warrant at a residence located on Gunning River Road in the Township.

     During the search, Detectives uncovered a quantity of cocaine and a .22 caliber revolver. Holland was taken into custody without incident and remanded to the Ocean County Jail, where he remains since his arrest.