52 Pounds of Pot, $118K Seized, Idaho Man Charged In Ocean County Bust: Prosecutor

JACKSON, NJ — An Idaho man is being held in the Ocean County Jail after authorities seized 52 pounds of marijuana and $118,000 in cash from a pop-up trailer and Jeep he was driving, Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato announced.

David L. Lincoln, 65, of Ketchum, Idaho, is being held in lieu of $575,000 cash bail, said Capt. Jack Sramaty, commander of the prosecutor's Special Operations Group.

The arrest is the result of a three-month investigation into marijuana distribution in the Ocean County area, Sramaty said.

Detectives from the Special Operations Group Northern Enforcement Unit had identified Lincoln as being an alleged supplier of large amounts of marijuana in the area, traveling across the country in a red 1997 Jeep Cherokee and a small towable pop-up camper to a variety of locations on the East Coast, he said.

Early Thanksgiving morning, Sranaty said, Jackson Township police officers and members of the Ocean County Sheriff’s Department K-9 Unit found the Jeep Cherokee and camper traveling in the area of Houston Avenue in Jackson.

Authorities conducted a motor vehicle stop and then obtained and then executed search warrants, seizing about 52 pounds of marijuana and about $118,000 in cash, Sramaty said.

Detectives with the Financial Crimes Unit of the prosecutor's office located bank accounts Lincoln used to facilitate his illegal activity, he said, and those accounts were seized, along with the Jeep Cherokee and the pop-up camper.

The seized marijuana has an approximate street value of $150,000, Sramaty said.

Detectives with the Prosecutor’s Special Operations Group are continuing their investigation through the holiday weekend, he said.

“The dedication and commitment of the detectives of both the Special Operations Group and the Financial Crimes Unit are second to none," Sramaty said. "As a team, the Prosecutor’s Office will continue to follow Prosecutor Coronato's mandates by relentlessly identifying, investigating and prosecuting the dealers who are operating in and around Ocean County.”

Lincoln was charged with possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana more than 25 pounds with intent to distribute, conspiracy to distribute more than 25 pounds of marijuana and financial facilitation (money laundering), Sramaty said. Bail was set by Superior Court Judge Rochelle Gizinski.

Handcuffs image via Shutterstock; David L. Lincoln photo via Ocean County Corrections Department