FREEHOLD – Two men were sentenced Wednesday on drug charges related to the 2014 seizure of 367 packets of heroin and 16 bags of crack cocaine, announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
Timothy Bethea, 41, of Tinton Falls, and Aldaberto Vega, 35, of Eatontown, were previously convicted on May 9, 2017 after a trial by jury before Superior Court Judge Richard W. English of third degree Possession of CDS, third degree Possession with Intent to Distribute and third degree Possession with Intent to Distribute in a School Zone.
Bethea was sentenced by Judge English to 8 years in a New Jersey state prison with a four-year period of parole ineligibility.
Vega was sentenced to 5 years in a New Jersey state prison with a three-year period of parole ineligibility.
The charges stemmed from a June 13, 2014 incident, when the Neptune Township Police Department Street Crimes Unit arrived at the Days Inn on Route 33 to investigate drug activity and discovered Bethea and Vega inside a vehicle parked outside the motel. An investigation found seven bricks (360 bags) of heroin inside the vehicle. A further search of the vehicle and Bethea uncovered additional heroin, sixteen (16) bags of crack cocaine, drug paraphernalia and other items.
The case was prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutor Emily Cartmell.
Bethea is represented by Kelly Anderson Smith, Esq., of Hamilton and Vega was represented by David Donnelly, Esq., of Little Silver.
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