Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on August 12, 2022, Cory Winston, 31, of Jackson, was sentenced by the Honorable Rochelle Gizinski, J.S.C., to five years New Jersey State Prison (NJSP) as a result of his previously entered guilty plea to Possession of more than One-Half Ounce but less than Five Ounces of Heroin with Intent to Distribute in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5b(2). Judge Gizinski also sentenced Winston to five years NJSP with a 42-month period of parole ineligibility in connection with his guilty plea to Unlawful Possession of a Weapon in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5b(1), and three years NJSP in connection with his guilty plea to Resisting Arrest in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:29-2a(3)a. All charges are in connection with illegal activity that occurred in Brick Township between February 2021 and March 2021. Winston pled guilty to the charges before Judge Gizinski on April 20, 2022.
An investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force and Stafford Township Police Department Drug Enforcement Unit between February and March 2021 revealed that Winston was distributing heroin in the Ocean County area. As a result, Detectives executed a court-authorized search warrant at a storage unit in Brick Township – utilized by Winston – on March 10, 2021. Detectives located Winston at the subject storage facility and attempted to detain him pending execution of the search warrant. Winston became combative, and forcefully resisted efforts to detain him; it ultimately took the combined efforts of three detectives to take Winston into custody. Detectives subsequently seized approximately 3000 individual doses of heroin, 200 grams of eutylone, as well as various quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. Detectives also discovered and seized two handguns and an extended capacity magazine. Winston has been lodged in the Ocean County Jail since being taken into custody on March 10, 2021.
Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges the diligent efforts of Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke who handled the case on behalf of the State, and commends the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Narcotics Strike Force, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Asset Forfeiture Unit, Stafford Township Police Department Drug Enforcement Unit, Stafford Township Police Department K-9 Unit, Brick Township Police Department, and Absecon City Police Department, for their collective efforts in connection with this investigation leading to Winston’s arrest, guilty pleas, and now his state prison sentence.