Freehold Man Sentenced For Shooting Ocean County Victim In The Face

FREEHOLD BOROUGH, NJ — A Freehold Borough man has been sentenced to five years in NJ State Prison in connection with a June shooting in Jackson Township, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Michael Vulpis, 26, of Freehold Borough, was sentenced Friday after he previously pled guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon in connection with the incident, where a 27-year-old man was shot in the face.

Vulpis’ sentence will be subject to the terms of the No Early Release Act (NERA), Billhimer said, which means that he will be required to serve at least 85% of his prison sentence before he’s considered for parole eligibility.

Judge Kimarie Rahill also sentenced Vulpis to 5 years in NJ State Prison (with a 42-month period of parole ineligibility) relative to his previous guilty plea to possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose in connection with the same incident. The sentences will run concurrently.

Alongside Vulpis, prosecutors said charges remain pending against two other men in the case: Noah Phelps, 24, of Monroe Township, and Glenn Franzson, 32, of Jackson Township.

Phelps is accused of being the second attacker the night of the shooting, while Franzson is accused of conspiring to intimidate the victim into lying about what happened, prosecutors said. All three were indicted in the case in September.

According to Billhimer, Vulpis’ guilty plea was the result of negotiations after the victim refused to cooperate with prosecutors.

“The state is required to prove each and every element of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt – the highest standard of proof recognized under the law,” Billhimer said. “Where, as in this case, the victim of a crime remains uncooperative with the prosecution’s efforts, it makes it extremely difficult, if not impossible, for the State to satisfy its legal burden of proof.”

“As such, the state reluctantly entered into this negotiated resolution – in the absence of victim cooperation – so that some level of justice might nevertheless be accomplished,” Billhimer concluded.

The charges stem from an incident that occurred on June 27 at 12:20 a.m. when Jackson Township police officers were called to the area of Larsen Road for a report of a 27-year-old man who suffered a gunshot wound to the face, prosecutors said.

Investigators learned that the victim and a woman were sitting in a parked vehicle outside of a home on Larsen Road when a blue sedan parked in front of the vehicle, blocking it in. Two men exited the blue sedan, approached the vehicle, and knocked on the window, prosecutors said.

As the victim exited the vehicle, authorities said one of the men began to strike him, and during the assault, one of the men shot the victim in the face before fleeing the area. The victim was then brought to Jersey Shore University Medical Center, where he was treated and released.

Further investigation later revealed that Vulpis was the man who shot the victim, Billhimer said.

On July 3, Vulpis was arrested and has been held in the Ocean County Jail since then.

Continuing investigation later revealed that Phelps was the second person involved in the attack, and that Phelps and Vulpis conspired to attack the victim, prosecutors said.

On Aug. 15, Phelps was charged with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder, Billhimer said. On Aug. 16, he surrendered himself to the Freehold Township Police Department and was then brought to the Ocean County Jail and released as a consequence of NJ Bail Reform.

Detectives also determined that Franzson and Vulpis had conspired to contact the victim to try and have him provide a false statement to law enforcement regarding the investigation, Billhimer said.

As a result, Franzson was charged with witness tampering and conspiracy to commit witness tampering, authorities said.

On Aug. 15, detectives executed a court-authorized search warrant on Franzson’s home, where authorities then seized methamphetamine and a Polymer 80 handgun (ghost gun) with a high-capacity magazine.

During a search incident to his arrest, prosecutors said Franzson was also found to be in possession of cocaine, and as a result, he was additionally charged with possession of a weapon without a serial number, possession of a high-capacity ammunition magazine, possession of cocaine and possession of methamphetamine.

Franzson was then brought to the Ocean County Jail and released as a consequence of NJ Bail Reform, prosecutors said.

Previous Coverage

• Freehold Man Admits Shooting Ocean County Victim In The Face
• Freehold Man Among 3 Indicted In Shooting Of Man In Parked Car
• Man Beaten, Shot In Face While Sitting With Woman In Vehicle In Ocean County