OCPO: Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on Friday, January 10, 2020, Tony Olden, 33, of Lakewood, was sentenced to eight years New Jersey State Prison (NJSP) by the Honorable Rochelle Gizinski, J.S.C., as a result of a guilty plea to Possession of Heroin in an Amount Greater than One Half-Ounce with Intent to Distribute in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5a(1) and N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5b(2). Olden was also sentenced to five years NJSP with a forty-two month period of parole ineligibility as a result of a guilty plea to Unlawful Possession of a Weapon in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5b(1). The sentences will run concurrently. Olden pled guilty to these charges before Judge Gizinski on October 21, 2019.

The charges arose out of a three-month long investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force and Lakewood Police Department Street Crimes Unit. Pursuant to that investigation, Detectives stopped a motor vehicle being operated by Olden on August 6, 2019 and recovered a substantial amount of heroin as well as a handgun. On that same date, Detectives executed a search warrant at a residence in Lakewood which yielded additional significant amounts of heroin.

Prosecutor Billhimer would like to acknowledge the hard work of Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke who prosecuted the case on behalf of the State. Additionally, Prosecutor Billhimer extends his gratitude to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Regional SWAT Team, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Asset Forfeiture Unit, Lakewood Township Police Department Street Crimes Unit and Detective Bureau, Toms River Township Police Department, Barnegat Township Police Department, Stafford Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, and the Monmouth/Ocean County DEA HIDTA Group, for their collective efforts in bringing Olden to justice.