TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A Freehold Borough man has pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and a weapons offense in connection with a 2024 shooting in Jackson Township, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced Monday.
Michael Vulpis, 26, entered his plea before Superior Court Judge Kimarie Rahill. Prosecutors will seek a five-year sentence in New Jersey State Prison under the No Early Release Act for the aggravated assault charge and another five-year term, with 42 months of parole ineligibility, for the weapons charge. The sentences will run concurrently.
The charges stem from a June 27, 2024, incident in which a 27-year-old man was shot in the face while sitting in a parked car on Larsen Road. Authorities say Vulpis and another man, Noah Phelps, 24, of Monroe Township, blocked the victim’s car, confronted him, and attacked him before Vulpis fired the shot. The victim was treated at Jersey Shore University Medical Center and later released.
Vulpis was arrested on July 3, 2024, at his home and initially charged with attempted murder. Phelps was charged in August 2024 with attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder after investigators determined he conspired with Vulpis. He turned himself in but was later released under New Jersey’s bail reform laws.
Authorities also charged Glenn Franzson, 32, of Jackson Township, with witness tampering after he and Vulpis allegedly tried to coerce the victim into giving a false statement. A search of Franzson’s home led to additional drug and weapons charges, including possession of a ghost gun with a high-capacity magazine. Franzson was also released under bail reform.
The case against Phelps and Franzson remains ongoing. Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledged the plea deal was necessary due to a lack of cooperation from the victim, stating, “The State reluctantly entered into this negotiated resolution… so that some level of justice might nevertheless be accomplished.”