A 27-year-old Brick man will serve a 16 year-long prison term after pleading guilty this week to charges of leading a narcotics distribution ring.
Jeremy Zahn entered a guilty plea yesterday to charges of leading a narcotics trafficking network, financial facilitation and two eluding charges before the Superior Court Judge Francis R. Hodgson.
As part of the plea, the Zahn will serve 16 years in New Jersey State Prison with an 8 year period of parole ineligibility, according to Al Della Fave, spokesman for the Ocean County Prosecutors Office. He will also be required to pay a $200,000 anti-drug profiteering penalty.
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Zahn had previously been released on $350,000 cash bail on Aug 25.
According to prosecutors, Zahn was the lead defendant in an investigation dubbed “Operation Roadrunner” that began in August 2012 and culminated on April 5, 2013.
Over a four day period beginning Tuesday April 2, 2013, police executed search warrants in multiple states and counties, resulting in the arrest of 25 men and women on various drug, weapons and money laundering charges. The investigation established probable cause to obtain search warrants, which were executed at homes and businesses located in Lakewood, Manchester, Toms River, Brick, West Windsor, North Caldwell and Tinton Falls.
As a result of the execution of the search warrants, law enforcement authorities confiscated large amounts of marijuana, large quantities of MDMA, commonly known as Ecstasy, and prescription pills including Oxycodone, Roxicet, Zanax, Methadone and Suboxone. The raids also yielded large quantities of L.S.D. and psilocybin mushrooms, plus multiple firearms, including a loaded Smith and Wesson .44 Magnum handgun, a loaded 9mm American Tactical pistol, a Weatherby 7 mm rifle, as well as approximately $91,000 in cash.
Police also seized several bank accounts that were found to contain proceeds from the illicit drug network, one of which contained approximately $70,000 in drug proceeds.
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Special Operation Group, along with members of the Drug Enforcement Administration, Newark Division Asset Forfeiture Unit also seized 15 vehicles.
