OCEAN COUNTY, NJ—John Vincentini, 64, of Lacey Township, has pleaded guilty to multiple charges, including bias intimidation, narcotics possession, and possessing an assault firearm. The announcement was made by Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer following the plea before the Honorable Kenneth T. Palmer, J.S.C., on June 7, 2024.
The bias incident occurred on September 5, 2022, when Vincentini reportedly blocked an Amazon delivery driver’s vehicle in a cul-de-sac, questioning the driver’s presence in the neighborhood and making threatening racial remarks. Vincentini warned the driver about the neighborhood’s racist attitudes and threatened violence with a rifle.
The driver subsequently escaped and alerted the Lacey Township Police Department. Vincentini turned himself in a month later and was charged with bias intimidation.
Additionally, Vincentini entered guilty pleas for incidents in March 2024 involving the possession of an assault firearm and the possession with intent to distribute between one ounce and five pounds of marijuana.
At the sentencing scheduled for July 29, 2024, the state will seek concurrent prison terms of five years for the bias charge, five years with a mandatory 42 months of parole ineligibility for the firearm charge, and three years for the narcotics charge. These proceedings underscore the legal repercussions of bias crimes combined with other criminal offenses in New Jersey.
