Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on October 26, 2021, Jose Quintero-DeJesus, 37, of Brick Township, and Victor Mendoza-Gutierrez, 26, of Manchester, pled guilty to Maintaining a Controlled Dangerous Substance Production Facility in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:35-4, before the Honorable Guy P. Ryan, J.S.C. At the time of their sentencing on December 17, 2021, the State will be seeking a term of eight years New Jersey State Prison as to each defendant.
On May 13, 2020, at approximately 3:30 pm, Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force, along with members of the Ocean County Regional SWAT Team, Northern Ocean County/Monmouth Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force (HIDTA), Manchester Township Police Department Narcotics Enforcement Team, Brick Township Police Department Street Crimes Unit, and Brick Township Police Department Special Emergency Response Team (SERT), executed search warrants at residences in Brick Township and Manchester. Just prior to the execution of the search warrants, Brick Township Police arrested Quintero-DeJesus following the execution of a motor vehicle stop upon his 2019 Ford F150. Mendoza-Gutierrez was apprehended at the Manchester residence. As a result of the investigation and execution of the search warrants, law enforcement located and seized firearms, approximately 1,050 grams of Cocaine, 20 grams of Methamphetamine, a quantity of Marijuana, drug paraphernalia indicative of distribution purposes, a high-end security system, and approximately $30,000 in cash. Quintero-DeJesus and Mendoza-Gutierrez were both arrested and charged accordingly. Quintero-DeJesus has been lodged in the Ocean County Jail since his arrest; Mendoza-Gutierrez was charged on a summons and released pending future court appearances.
Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges the diligent efforts of Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke who is handling the case on behalf of the State, as well as the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Asset Forfeiture Unit, Ocean County Regional SWAT Team, Northern Ocean County/Monmouth Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force (HIDTA), Manchester Township Police Department Narcotics Enforcement Team, Brick Township Police Department Street Crimes Unit, Brick Township Police Department K-9 Unit, Brick Township Police Department SERT, Lakewood Police Department Street Crimes Unit, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, for their collaborative efforts in connection with this investigation resulting in Quintero’s and Mendoza-Gutierrez’s guilty pleas, and soon their state prison sentences.