Man Who Stored Narcotics In Brick Gets 5 Years For Drug Distribution

TOMS RIVER, NJ — An Ocean County man who was using a storage unit in Brick to store narcotics has been sentenced to five years in prison, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office announced.

Cory Winston, 31, of Jackson, was sentenced Friday by Superior Court Judge Rochelle Gizinski, for his guilty plea to possession of more than a half-ounce but less than 5 ounces of heroin with intent to distribute. Gizinski also sentenced Winston to five years in prison with 42 months of parole ineligibility for his guilty plea to unlawful possession of a weapon, and three years in connection with resisting arrest.

The charges were in connection with illegal activity that occurred in Brick Township in February 2021 and March 2021. Winston pled guilty to the charges before Gizinski on April 20.

An investigation into drug distribution found Winston was distributing heroin in the Ocean County area. As a result, detectives executed a search warrant on March 10, 2021, at a storage unit in Brick that Winston was using for storage. Winston was at the storage unit and when authorities tried to detain him, Winston became combative and forcefully resisted.

It took three detectives to arrest him, authorities said.

Detectives seized about 3,000 individual doses of heroin, 200 grams of eutylone, along with unspecified quantities of cocaine, methamphetamine, and fentanyl. They also seized two handguns and an extended capacity magazine.

Winston has been held in the Ocean County Jail since his arrest on March 10, 2021.

Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke handled the case. The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Narcotics Strike Force and Asset Forfeiture Unit, the Stafford Township Police Department Drug Enforcement Unit and K-9 Unit, Brick Township Police Department, and Absecon City Police Department collaborated on the investigation.