LAKEWOOD, N.J. – A 78-year-old Lakewood man has pleaded guilty to charges of drug distribution and financial facilitation in connection with a narcotics investigation that led to his arrest in July 2023, authorities said.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Lewis Tarver entered his guilty plea on March 14 before Judge Kenneth T. Palmer in Ocean County Superior Court. The State is seeking a seven-year prison sentence when he is sentenced on May 16. Tarver must also pay a $44,267 penalty related to the financial facilitation charge.
Investigators executed search warrants on July 14, 2023, at a residence on Massachusetts Avenue and three vehicles Tarver used to store and distribute cocaine, officials said. Law enforcement officers seized approximately 241 grams of cocaine packaged for resale, along with marijuana, alprazolam, oxycodone, and about $44,000 in cash.
Tarver was taken into custody without incident and transported to Ocean County Jail. He was later released under New Jersey’s bail reform policies. At this time, Tarver is not listed in the inmate database at the Ocean County Jail. He is also not listed as an inmate in state custody.
Prosecutor Billhimer credited Senior Assistant Prosecutor Kaitlyn Burke for handling the case and praised the efforts of the Lakewood Township Police Department’s Street Crimes Unit, Special Response Team, and K-9 Unit for their work in the investigation.
Key Points:
- Lewis Tarver, 78, of Lakewood, pleaded guilty to drug distribution and financial facilitation charges.
- Investigators seized 241 grams of cocaine, other drugs, and about $44,000 in cash in July 2023.
- Tarver faces a possible seven-year prison sentence and a $44,267 financial penalty.