NJ 'Most Wanted' Fugitive Caught After 4 Years On The Run, Authorities Say

ABSECON, NJ — A fugitive from Absecon on New Jersey State Police's "Most Wanted List" has been captured in California after more than four years on the run, the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General announced Thursday.

Jordan P. Ragland, wanted on drugs and weapons offenses, was arrested on Sept. 23, 2025 in Sacaramento, CA, Attorney General Matthew J. Platkin said.

Ragland, 33, had been on the run since a warrant was issued for his arrest on March 3, 2021. Ragland was wanted for maintaining a controlled dangerous substance production facility, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, unlawful possession of an assault firearm, and unlawful possession of a semi-automatic pistol, among numerous other charges since 2021. He was added to the NJSP Most Wanted List in May 2025.

“No matter how far someone runs, or how long they hide, if we believe they are guilty of a crime, we will not stop until they are brought to justice,” Platkin said. “Excellent work by our State Police and our law enforcement partners ensured that this defendant is back in New Jersey to face justice for the crimes he is accused of committing.”

Ragland's charges stem from a multiagency investigation led by the New Jersey State Police Casino Gaming Bureau, with assistance from the U.S. Postal Inspection Service. The investigation, which began in Sept. 2020, uncovered an alleged criminal network involving Ragland. Ragland was allegedly responsible for shipping large quantities of crystal methamphetamine from California to Atlantic City, as well as other locations in the United States.

Ragland and his cousin, James P. Wright, were later indicted by a grand jury on the following charges:

• First-degree possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine
• Two counts of first-degree maintaining or operating a CDS production facility
• Second-degree possession with intent to distribute fentanyl
• Two counts of second-degree possession of a weapon during a CDS offense
• Second-degree unlawful possession of an assault firearm
• Fourth-degree certain persons not to possess weapons
• Multiple other third- and fourth-degree offenses

Wright was arrested in March 2021 and is currently serving a five-year sentence in New Jersey State Prison.

After detectives executed the residential search warrant in 2021, Ragland allegedly fled New Jersey and used multiple aliases to travel to California to avoid apprehension. Following his arrest in Sacramento, Ragland was extradited to New Jersey by members of the New Jersey State Police and lodged in the Atlantic County Jail.