57-Year-Old Jersey City Man Was Sentenced On Thursday To State Prison On Narcotics Offense

Saturday, August 24, 2024, 9:00 A.M. ET. 1 Minute Read, By Art Fletcher: Englebrook Independent News,

NEWTON, NJ.- On Thursday, August 22, 2024, Jerome Cherry, 57, of Jersey City, New Jersey, appeared in Sussex County Superior Court House and was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Michael C. Gaus to a term of seven years in New Jersey State Prison for the possession and intent to distribute methamphetamine.

     Judge Gaus also ordered Cherry to submit a DNA sample and pay $2,205 in mandatory fees and penalties. Cherry was given credit for 772 days in jail since his initial arrest.

     According to Acting Sussex County Prosecutor Carolyn Murray, Cherry had previously entered a guilty plea to second-degree Possession of a Controlled Dangerous Substance Methamphetamine with the Intent to Distribute. 

Investigation

     The guilty plea and sentence stem from an investigation that began in June and July of 2022 when Detectives of the Sussex County Guns, Gangs, and Narcotics Task Force, in conjunction with the Newton Police Department, initiated an investigation into methamphetamine distribution and use in the Sussex County, New Jersey area.

     The culmination of the investigation, led by Detective David Kraus of the Hopatcong Borough Police Department, resulted in the arrest of Cherry. He was initially charged with multiple narcotics offenses. During negotiations, the Sussex County Prosecutor’s Office agreed and entered into a plea agreement with Cherry, leading to Thursday’s state prison term.

     Cherry will now be transferred to the New Jersey State Department of Corrections to serve the balance of his sentence.