Brick Man Pleads Guilty To Operating Drug Manufacturing Facility

TOMS RIVER, NJ — Two Ocean County men have pleaded guilty to running a drug manufacturing facility out of homes in Brick and Manchester.

Jose Quintero-DeJesus, 37, of Brick Township, and Victor Mendoza-Gutierrez, 26, of Manchester, pleaded guilty on Tuesday to maintaining a controlled dangerous substance production facility before Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said the state would seek eight-year prison terms for each man at sentencing, which is scheduled for Dec. 17.

Billhimer said the two men were arrested May 13, 2020, as authorities executed search warrants at homes in Brick and Manchester.

Quintero-DeJesus was arrested by Brick Township police after they pulled over his 2019 Ford F150 just before the warrants were executed at the homes, Billhimer said. Mendoza-Gutierrez was arrested at the Manchester home.

Authorities seized firearms, about 1,050 grams of cocaine, 20 grams of methamphetamine, an unspecified amount of marijuana, drug paraphernalia indicative of distribution purposes, a high-end security system, and approximately $30,000 in cash, Billhimer said.

Quintero-DeJesus has been held in the Ocean County Jail since his arrest; Mendoza-Gutierrez was charged on a summons and released pending future court appearances.

Billhimer said the following people and agencies contributed to the arrests and the guilty pleas: Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke, the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Asset Forfeiture Unit, Ocean County Regional SWAT Team, Northern Ocean County/Monmouth Drug Enforcement Administration Task Force (HIDTA), Manchester Township Police Department Narcotics Enforcement Team, Brick Township Police Department Street Crimes Unit, Brick Township Police Department K-9 Unit, Brick Township Police Department Special Emergency Response Team, Lakewood Police Department Street Crimes Unit, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit.

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