A Monroe County, Pennsylvania man was sentenced today to 200 months—or almost 17 years—in prison for his role in distributing large quantities of heroin and cocaine in New Jersey’s Bayshore area of Monmouth and Middlesex counties.
Guy Jackson, 49, of Effort, Pennsylvania, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Brian R. Martinotti in Trenton federal court to an information charging him with one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute one kilogram or more of heroin.
Jackson also admitted to conspiring to distribute and possess with intent to distribute a quantity of cocaine. Judge Martinotti imposed the sentence today via videoconference.
U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said the sentence follows a coordinated takedown in November 2018 of 15 defendants charged in a federal criminal complaint with conspiracy to distribute heroin and cocaine.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Jackson and others engaged in a narcotics conspiracy that operated in the Raritan Bayshore region of Middlesex and northern Monmouth counties from May 2017 to November 2018.
Authorities say the defendants ran a sophisticated operation from May 2017 until the takedown in November 2018. They used “burner” phones — cheap temporary cell phones — code words and counter-surveillance of law enforcement.
FBI agents along with state and local police busted the operation through a combination of controlled drug purchases of heroin and cocaine, wiretaps of suspected conspirators and confidential sources, according to Honig.
So far, 13 defendants have pleaded guilty.
Supplier Gregory Gillens was sentenced on Sept. 8, 2020, to 10 years in prison.
Co-defendant Daniel McHugh was sentenced to 90 months in prison; co-defendant David Nagy was sentenced to one year and one day in prison; co-defendant Shavar Williams was sentenced to time served, which amounted to approximately 14 months in prison; co-defendant Daryl Jackson was sentenced to five years’ probation with 10 months of home detention; and co-defendant Brian Hall was sentenced to three years’ probation with eight months of home detention.
Co-defendants Krystal Cordoba, Daniel Alfano, Tyler Scarangello, Christy Dube, and Richard Gethers are awaiting sentencing.
Jackson’s wife, Lashawn Mealing, 50, of Manchester, pleaded guilty to obstructing and attempting to obstruct justice on behalf of Jackson and other co-conspirators while out on federal pretrial release.
She orchestrated the break-in of a rental car used in the trafficking operation at the direction of Jackson to recover evidence in it and is also awaiting sentencing
Defendant Deberal Rogers has been indicted, and charges were dismissed against one defendant.
Through the interception of telephone calls and text messages pursuant to court-authorized wiretap orders, controlled purchases of heroin and cocaine, the use of confidential sources of information, and other investigative techniques, law enforcement learned that Jackson regularly supplied large quantities of heroin and cocaine for further distribution. Some of the heroin distributed by the conspiracy contained fentanyl, a dangerous synthetic opioid.
In addition to the prison terms, Judge Martinotti sentenced Jackson to five years of supervised release. Four vehicles that Jackson used in the course of the drug conspiracy, as well as in excess of $10,000 in cash that Jackson admitted was proceeds of drug trafficking, were previously seized and administratively forfeited.