FREEHOLD – On Friday, an Asbury Park man was sentenced to a total of 25 years in prison for two cases involving possession with intent to distribute more than 1500 bags of heroin, announced Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
On November 3, Gregory Jean Baptiste, 28, of Asbury Park, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Thomas F. Scully to an aggregate sentence of 25 years in prison with 12 years parole ineligibility for charges filed under two separate indictments including 2nd degree Possession of Heroin With the Intent to Distribute, 3rd degree Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute in a School Zone and 2nd degree Possession of Heroin with Intent to Distribute Within 500 Feet of a Public Housing Complex. Baptiste had previously entered guilty pleas on both indictments before Judge Scully on April 12th of this year.
The charges stemmed from two separate investigations where Baptiste was found in possession of large quantities of heroin. On June 29, 2013, after a motor vehicle stop conducted by officers from the Asbury Park Police Department, Baptiste was found in possession of 430 bags of heroin. While out on bail for that crime, on October 21, 2014, officers from the Lake Como Police Department conducted a motor vehicle stop of a car in which Baptiste was a passenger. A search of the car resulted in the seizure of 1098 bags of heroin.
While those cases were pending trial, Baptiste pleaded guilty to both indictments in their entirety, exposing himself to the maximum sentence. Based on Baptiste’s prior record, Judge Scully granted the State’s motion for an extended term of imprisonment and ordered sentences for each indictment to run consecutively.
The cases were prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutors Martha K. Nye and Merlin K. Thomas.
Baptiste is represented by Robert J. Konzelmann, Esq., of Freehold.
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