TOMS RIVER – A township man has been sentenced to state prison for cocaine distribution, eluding police and financial facilitation charges stemming from two separate investigations, authorities said.
Phillip Tarver, 41, was sentenced Sept. 11 by Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced.
Tarver received concurrent 12-year sentences for two counts of possessing between one-half ounce and 5 ounces of cocaine with intent to distribute. He was also sentenced to a concurrent seven-year term for eluding.
Ryan imposed two three-year sentences for financial facilitation that will run consecutively to the other prison terms, according to the Prosecutor’s Office.
Tarver pleaded guilty to all charges July 6.
The first investigation began Jan. 21, 2025, while members of the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force were watching Keith Morse, 38, of Toms River during an alleged cocaine transaction with an undercover detective.
Investigators said they saw Morse meet with Tarver and subsequently followed Tarver as he drove through Toms River. Township police stopped his vehicle on Route 37, where a police dog indicated that drugs were present, authorities said.
After obtaining a warrant, detectives searched the vehicle and recovered pills, a knife and approximately $5,300 in cash. Tarver was arrested and taken to the Ocean County Jail, where authorities said a search uncovered about 110 grams of crack cocaine.
Tarver was charged and later released under New Jersey’s bail reform guidelines.
Morse pleaded guilty June 15 to possessing between one-half ounce and 5 ounces of cocaine with intent to distribute. He was awaiting sentencing at the time of the announcement.
Tarver’s second arrest followed an unrelated narcotics investigation on Aug. 12, 2025.
Members of the Toms River Police Department’s Special Enforcement Team spotted Tarver near milepost 83 on the Garden State Parkway, authorities said.
Police attempted to stop his vehicle, but Tarver allegedly refused to pull over and threw several items from the vehicle while driving. He left the Parkway and continued through South Toms River, where officers ended the pursuit because of safety concerns.
Investigators recovered approximately 21 grams of cocaine from the items allegedly discarded during the pursuit.
Tarver was found a short time later in Barnegat Township and arrested without incident. Police said he had approximately $10,000 in cash when he was taken into custody.
Tarver had remained in the Ocean County Jail since that arrest.
Senior Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke represented the state. Numerous county and municipal law enforcement agencies participated in the investigations.
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