Men Used Barnegat Location For Dealing Heroin: OCPO

BARNEGAT, NJ — Two Lakewood men used a Barnegat location as part of an extensive heroin-dealing scheme, according to the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office. Tony Olden and Shawn Craighead also used three Lakewood locations for storing, packaging and dispensing heroin, officials said.

Authorities executed no-knock search warrants Tuesday on these locations. Officials seized 1,500 individual heroin dosage units, three handguns, $1,200 in cash and marijuana, the OCPO said.

The arrests culminate a three-month investigation into heroin distribution in Ocean County.

Olden, 33, was charged with the following, according to the OCPO:

• maintaining a drug production/manufacturing facility
• possessing over 1/2 ounce of heroin with intent to distribute
• possessing heroin with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public park
• heroin possession
• possessing a weapon for an unlawful purpose
• possessing a handgun while committing a controlled dangerous substance offense (two counts)
• being a certain person not to possess a weapon (two counts)
• unlawful possession of a weapon
• possessing a defaced firearm
• possessing prohibited ammunition

Craighead was charged with the following:

• being a certain person not to possess a weapon
• unlawful weapon possession
• marijuana possession

Olden and Craighead were taken to the Ocean County Jail.

Involved agencies included the following: the OCPO's Narcotics Strike Force, the OCPO's Regional SWAT Team, the OCPO's Asset Forfeiture Unit, the Lakewood Township Police Department, the Toms River Township Police Department, the Barnegat Township Police Department, the Stafford Township Police Department, the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department, and the Monmouth/Ocean County DEA HIDTA Group.

“I can’t say enough about the collaborative efforts of all of the law enforcement agencies involved in this investigation," Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said in a statement. "We will continue to work together to root out these drug dealers and prosecute them to the fullest extent of the law.”

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