Burlington County Man Busted With 3 Kilograms Of Meth: Feds

BURLINGTON COUNTY, NJ — A Burlington County man made his initial appearance in court on Monday, nearly two years after he was charged with trafficking more than three kilograms of methamphetamine while illegally possessing an unregistered gun as a previously convicted felon, according to authorities.

Nicholas Layton, 41, of Mount Holly, was initially stopped while driving home from Arizona in 2018, according to Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig.

He and an unnamed person were driving separate cars when they were both stopped in Crawford County, Arkansas, according to documents filed in the case and statements made in court.

During an ensuing investigation, authorities said they found four wrapped bundles of suspected narcotics, later confirmed to be approximately three kilograms of methamphetamine, in the other person’s car.

However, receipts showed it was Layton who had both cars and both were subsequently charged, authorities said. Layton was released by authorities.

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Then, in May and June 2019, Layton sold methamphetamine on three separate occasions to undercover detectives in Pemberton and Mount Holly, authorities said.

Authorities executed search warrants at Layton’s homes in Mount Holly and Southampton on July 17, 2019. At the Mount Holly home, they said they found:

• a black “AR” style, 5.56 x 45mm semi-automatic rifle, having no visible serial number, which law enforcement later determined was a Privately Made Firearm (“PMF”);
• a 9mm semi-automatic rifle, having no visible serial number, which law enforcement later determined was a PMF;
• a firearm silencer, having no visible serial number, which law enforcement later determined was a PMF; and
• eight “M-Class” explosive devices.

At the Southampton home, they said they found:

• a Norcino, SKS type, 762 caliber, semi-automatic rifle (the “Norcino”), bearing serial number 244931DUP;
• a 12-gauge caliber Browning shotgun (the “Browning”), bearing serial number 13324 S69; and
• nine “M-Class” explosive devices.

Layton was not home at the time either of the search warrants were executed, authorities said. He was arrested at a home in Marlton on or about Aug. 4, authorities said. When he was arrested, authorities said they found Layton in possession of approximately 200 grams of methamphetamine and an additional explosive device.

The conspiracy and the possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine counts are punishable by a mandatory minimum of 10 years in prison, a maximum of life in prison and a fine of $10 million; the possession of an unregistered firearm is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison and a fine of $10,000; and the charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm is punishable by a maximum of 10 years in prison and fine of $250,000.