TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A Jackson Township man was sentenced to seven years in New Jersey State Prison after pleading guilty to multiple weapons and narcotics charges spanning several municipalities over a five-year period, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced Friday.
Shawn Garretson, 51, received the sentence on April 4 from Judge Dina M. Vicari, J.S.C., which includes a five-year period of parole ineligibility. He had pleaded guilty on February 19 to three counts of being a Certain Person Not to Possess a Weapon and one count of Possession of Methamphetamine. The sentences will run concurrently.
Key Points
- Shawn Garretson was sentenced to 7 years in New Jersey State Prison with a 5-year parole bar
- Multiple searches between 2019 and 2025 recovered weapons and narcotics from several locations
- Arrests were made in Jackson, Barnegat, and Tuckerton following coordinated police operations
2019 and 2022 raids uncover firearms and drugs
On December 10, 2019, authorities executed a search warrant at Garretson’s home on East Bird Village Road in Jackson Township. The operation, conducted by the Warren County Prosecutor’s Office, New Jersey State Park Police, Jackson Township Police Department, and Ocean County Regional SWAT Team, led to the seizure of methamphetamine, marijuana, a sawed-off shotgun, and large capacity ammunition magazines. Garretson was arrested without incident and released under New Jersey Bail Reform.
A second raid on December 6, 2022, at the same residence yielded methamphetamine, three shotguns, two rifles, and more large-capacity magazines.
The Brielle Police Department, Jackson Township Police Department, and Ocean County Regional SWAT Team carried out the search. Garretson was again taken into custody without incident and later released.
2024 assault incident results in AR-15 seizure
On March 25, 2024, officers from the Barnegat Township Police Department responded to a residence on Gunning River Road after a report of an assault. Investigators determined that two individuals, including Garretson, had entered the home and assaulted a man. That same day, Jackson Township Police executed a Temporary Extreme Risk Protective Order Search Warrant at Garretson’s home, where they located an AR-15 rifle and additional weapons. He was again arrested and released under bail reform guidelines.
2025 traffic stop leads to final arrest
Garretson’s final arrest occurred on January 26, 2025, when Tuckerton Police stopped his vehicle. A K-9 unit from Stafford Township Police detected the presence of drugs. A subsequent search turned up a small amount of cocaine and a loaded Taurus .40 caliber handgun. Garretson was arrested and taken to the Ocean County Jail, where he has remained since.
“Garretson was taken into custody and transported to the Ocean County Jail, where he has been lodged since that date,” the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office stated.