Howell Man Traded Handguns For Heroin: Police

HOWELL, NJ — A Howell Township man has been charged with stealing four guns and other items from a Howell home and then trading two of the guns to an alleged drug dealer in Trenton, Howell police said.

Francis Cottrell Jr., 26, was arrested July 18 during a covert operation in Ewing, Detective Sgt. Christian Antunez said, and charged by Howell police after items stolen during a burglary in Howell two days earlier were found in his possession, he said.

The burglary on July 16 occurred at a trailer home on Ford Road, Antunez said. During the break-in, two loaded handguns, two shotguns, and assorted collectible coins were stolen. Howell Detectives Nancy Carroll and David Gilliland led the investigation and developed Cottrell, a former employee of the dog kennel on the property, as a suspect, he said.

The investigation uncovered information that led to the recovery of the shotguns (both Remington 870 12-gauge), which were wrapped in plastic bags and buried two feet deep in a horse stall on a farm in Freehold Township, Antunez said.

The stolen collectible coins had been sold to a pawn shop in Ewing, Antunez said, and were recovered with the assistance of the Ewing Police Detective Bureau.

Investigators then learned Cottrell had traded the two stolen handguns, .44- and .22-caliber Ruger revolvers, to a drug dealer in Trenton for heroin., Antunez said.

Howell Police initially responded to the report of a burglary of a trailer home on the property of 91 Ford Rd. in which two loaded handguns, two shotguns, along with assorted collectible coins, were stolen. Howell Detectives Nancy Carroll #182 and David Gilliland #637 led the investigation and developed Cottrell, a former employee of the dog kennel on the property, as a suspect. Information was quickly developed that led to the recovery of the shotguns (both Remington 870 12 gauge), which were wrapped in plastic bags and buried two feet deep in a horse stall on a farm in Freehold Township.

The Howell Township Police Investigations Unit, along with the New Jersey State Police Troop C CIO Detective Operational Group and Crime Suppression Unit, conducted a separate covert operation in Trenton on July 19 in which the alleged drug dealer, Tyrik Johnson, 23 of Trenton, was arrested and charged with weapons and drug offenses, he said.

Both stolen handguns — still loaded — from Howell were recovered at the scene of Johnson’s arrest, along with stolen hollow point ammunition, Antunez said.

Cottrell was charged with burglary, theft, unlawful possession of handgun (two counts), unlawful possession of a weapon (two counts) and prohibited person possessing weapons, Antunez said. He was taken to the Monmouth County Correctional Institute, where he is being held at this time.

Johnson was charged in Trenton with various drug and weapons offenses including receiving stolen property, unlawful possession of a handgun and distribution of CDS, Antunez said. Johnson was taken to the Mercer County jail.

Image via Shutterstock