FREEHOLD, N.J. — A Jackson Township man has been sentenced to 17 years in state prison for his role in a racketeering conspiracy that connected multiple street gangs and fueled violent crime across several Monmouth County communities, officials said Thursday.

Xavier “HS” Reed, 34, was sentenced last week by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Jill G. O’Malley. Prosecutors identified him as a high-ranking member of the G-Shine set of the Bloods and a central figure in organizing a coalition of rival gang members, including affiliates of the 47 NHC and Grape Street sets of the Crips.

Reed pleaded guilty to first-degree racketeering conspiracy and must serve 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole, under the terms of the No Early Release Act. Upon release, he will be subject to five years of parole supervision.

The conspiracy, dating back to 2019, focused on drug distribution, gang retaliation assaults, firearms transfers, dogfighting, and a series of shootings, mainly in Asbury Park, Neptune, and Freehold. Authorities linked the network to a March 2020 shooting that killed 24-year-old Christian Lahens in Asbury Park.

Nahzee Z. Coger, 21, was previously sentenced to 15 years in prison after pleading guilty to aggravated manslaughter in connection with Lahens’ death.

Reed had reportedly aimed to consolidate control over street-level criminal activity, describing himself as the potential “ringleader” of a unified gang structure across the region.

A total of 29 other defendants pleaded guilty to charges ranging from racketeering and attempted murder to drug offenses and dogfighting.

Reed’s sentencing marks a key development in a long-running investigation into organized gang violence in Monmouth County.

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