Asbury Park Man Sentenced To Up To 25 Years On Heroin Charges

FREEHOLD, NJ - An Asbury Park man will spend at least the next 12 years in state prison for attempting to distribute more than 1,500 bags of heroin, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said.

Superior Court Judge Thomas F. Scully on Nov. 3 sentenced Gregory Jean Baptiste, 28, to an aggregate sentence of 25 years for two separate indictments involving heroin distribution. He was indicted on charges of second-degree possession of heroin with intent to distribute, third-degree possession of heroin with intent to distribute in a school zone and second-degree possession of heroin with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public housing complex, the prosecutor said.

Baptiste had previously entered guilty pleas on both indictments before Judge Scully on April 12.

The charges stemmed from two separate investigations where Baptiste was found in possession of large quantities of heroin. Baptiste was found with 430 bags of heroin, on June 29, 2013, after a motor vehicle stop in which he was a passenger.

Lake Como police officers stopped a car in which Baptiste was also a passenger on Oct 21, 2014, while he was out of bail. A search of the car resulted in the seizure of 1098 bags of heroin, the prosecutor said.

Baptiste pleaded guilty to both indictments, thus exposing himself to the maximum sentence. Scully granted the state’s motion for an extended term of imprisonment and ordered sentences for each indictment to run consecutively, Gramiccioni said.

Photo: Patch file photo.