TOMS RIVER — A Lakewood man accused of distributing cocaine across Ocean County has been jailed after authorities said a monthlong investigation led to the seizure of drugs, weapons and cash.
Freemon Watts, 46, of Lakewood, was identified by investigators as a large-scale cocaine distributor in the Ocean County area, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.
The investigation was conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force along with the FBI Safe Streets Task Force-Red Bank, Lakewood police, Toms River police, Manchester police and Neptune police.
Authorities said detectives were watching Watts on May 27 when he left his workplace in Lakewood. Investigators later stopped the vehicle he was driving and took him into custody without incident.
Court-approved search warrants were then carried out at Watts’ Lakewood home, a Neptune Township residence authorities said was connected to the alleged drug operation, and a storage unit in Toms River.
Investigators said they seized about 400 grams of cocaine, drug-packaging materials, a suspected Uzi-style submachine gun, two handguns with large-capacity ammunition magazines and about $14,000 in cash.
Watts was charged with possession of five ounces or more of cocaine with intent to distribute, possession of cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia, possession of a firearm during a controlled dangerous substance offense, certain person not to possess a weapon, possession of a large-capacity ammunition magazine and financial facilitation.
He was taken to the Ocean County Jail, where he has been held since May 28.
Billhimer credited the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force, Asset Forfeiture Unit, FBI Safe Streets Task Force-Red Bank, Lakewood Township Police Department Street Crimes Unit, Lakewood Township Police Department Special Response Team, Toms River Police Department Special Enforcement Team, Manchester Township Police Department Narcotics Enforcement Team and Neptune Township Police Department for their work on the case.
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