JACKSON, N.J. — Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced charges against two men in connection with a violent incident that occurred in Jackson Township on June 27, 2024. Noah Phelps, 24, of Monroe Township, has been charged with Attempted Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Murder, while Glenn Franzson, 32, of Jackson Township, faces charges of Witness Tampering and Conspiracy to Commit Witness Tampering.
On June 27, 2024, at approximately 12:20 a.m., officers from the Jackson Township Police Department responded to a report of a male suffering a gunshot wound in the area of Larsen Road.
Upon arrival, officers found a 27-year-old male victim with a gunshot wound to his face. The victim was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune, where he was treated and later released.
An investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Jackson Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office revealed that the victim and a female companion were sitting in a parked vehicle outside a residence on Larsen Road when a blue sedan blocked them in. Two men exited the sedan, approached the vehicle, and began assaulting the victim. During the attack, one of the assailants shot the victim in the face before fleeing the scene.
Further investigation identified Michael Vulpis, 26, of Freehold Borough, as the individual who shot the victim. Vulpis was arrested on July 3, 2024, and charged with Attempted Murder, Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, and being a Certain Person Not to Possess a Weapon. He has been held in the Ocean County Jail since his arrest.
The ongoing investigation later determined that Phelps was the second assailant involved in the attack and that he conspired with Vulpis to carry out the assault. Phelps was charged with Attempted Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Murder on August 15, 2024. He surrendered to the Freehold Township Police Department the following day and is currently lodged in the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.
Investigators also uncovered evidence that Franzson and Vulpis conspired to contact the victim in an attempt to coerce him into providing a false statement to law enforcement regarding the incident. As a result, Franzson was charged with Witness Tampering and Conspiracy to Commit Witness Tampering. During a court-authorized search of Franzson’s residence on August 15, 2024, detectives seized a quantity of methamphetamine, a ghost gun with a high-capacity magazine, and other illegal items. Franzson was arrested without incident and additionally charged with Possession of a Weapon Without a Serial Number, Possession of a High-Capacity Ammunition Magazine, Possession of Cocaine, and Possession of Methamphetamine. He is also being held at the Ocean County Jail pending a detention hearing.
On August 16, 2024, Vulpis was further charged with Conspiracy to Commit Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Witness Tampering while in custody at the Ocean County Jail.
The investigation is ongoing, and authorities continue to work on the case to ensure that all individuals involved are held accountable.
