Eatontown Man Charged With Pot Distribution After Pair Reported Smoking Pot In Van: Police

BRICK, NJ -- A tip about two men smoking in a van near the Briar Mills development led to the seizure of 571 folds of heroin, crack cocaine, marijuana and more than $2,000 in cash, Brick police said Monday.

Ronald Walker, 32, of Lakewood, and Leon Sarvis, 27, of Eatontown, were arrested May 18 in the incident, Sgt. Neal Pedersen said.

Pedersen said a concerned citizen told Officer Scott Smith that two men were smoking marijuana in a black Dodge van in the Briar Mills development about 1:30 p.m. Smith, along with Officers Keith Prendeville and Michael Bennett went to Briar Mills Drive to search for the vehicle, and Prendeville saw it leave Briar Mills Drive onto Sally Ike Road, Pedersen said.

The van failed to stop at the stop sign and Prendeville pulled it over on Sally Ike Road, Pedersen said. As officers approached the van, they detected a strong odor of raw and burnt marijuana emanating from it. They had the driver of the vehicle, Sarvis, exit the vehicle, at which point it was determined that he had a bag of marijuana in his pocket along with more than $200 in cash, Pedersen said.

Sarvis was arrested and placed into a patrol vehicle, he said.

While the officers were speaking with the passenger, Walker, they still detected a strong odor of marijuana emanating from the van, Pedersen said. A subsequent investigation led to the detection of various types of controlled dangerous substances and outstanding arrest warrants for Walker, he said.

Walker was arrested and a quantity of crack cocaine and approximately $2,000 cash was found in his pants pocket, Pedersen said. Officers also discovered a cardboard box hidden in his pants that contained 571 wax folds that contained heroin, he said.

A search of the van yielded 1 ounce of marijuana, 1 ounce of wax THC oil extract on a wax paper sheet, butane torches, electronic vaporizer cigarettes containing suspected liquid wax THC oil extract, a digital scale, cigarette rolling papers, spray mace and a gun cleaning kit, however, no gun was located, Pedersen said. The van was a rental so the owner was located and turned over to the Enterprise rental company, he said.

Walker was charged with possession of heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession of crack cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute CDS in a school zone and a township park, and possession of drug paraphernalia, Pedersen said.

Walker also had outstanding arrest warrants totaling $5,004 from the Brick, Lakewood and Neptune Township municipal courts, he said.

Sarvis was charged with possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute CDS in a school zone and a township park, possession of marijuana, and possession of drug paraphernalia, Pedersen said.

All of the cash was seized pending forfeiture proceedings, he said.

Municipal Court Judge Robert Lepore set bail for Walker at $100,000, no 10 percent option, and for Sarvis at $35,000, no 10 percent option. Both subjects were transported to the Ocean County Jail, Toms River, but both have since posted bail, according to jail records.