Englewood Man Faces Charge for Distribution of Cocaine

After both local and state police conducted a search of his home on Tuesday, June 2, Francisco J. Romero, 38, of Englewood, is now facing a multitude of criminal charges. Authorities are alleging that Romero provided large amounts of cocaine to a drug ring operating in Ocean County and Monmouth County, and 31 other arrests were made based on alleged connections to the same operation. As a result of their search, authorities claim that they discovered a pound of cocaine in Romero’s possession.

Cocaine Distribution Lawyers in Englewood NJ

Under N.J.S.A. 2C:35-10, Romero will be up against some very harsh potential penalties if he is convicted of these allegations. Possession of cocaine, which can be considered a third-degree, second-degree, or first-degree crime depending on the circumstances of the charges, carries potential penalties in New Jersey of up to 5 years’ jail time, a mandatory loss of driving privileges for 6 months, and fines that could be as high as $35,000. These stiff penalties apply even for possession of small amounts of cocaine in New Jersey, but penalties quickly increase from this starting point based on the amount of cocaine allegedly possessed by a defendant, and whether the alleged offender had an intent to distribute the controlled substance. Under N.J.S.A. 2C:35-5, additional penalties will likely be imposed if Romero is found guilty of intent to distribute cocaine. If the amount of cocaine at issue had been less than one half ounce, then Romero’s penalties might have remained relatively minimal. However, once the amount of cocaine at issue exceeds one half ounce, the crime is then escalated to a second-degree crime, and in Romero’s case, the charges will be for a first-degree crime since he is alleged to have possessed over 5 ounces of the controlled substance. For a second-degree crime, New Jersey law escalates the potential penalties to include a 5-10 year jail sentence and fines that can reach $75,000. For the first-degree charges that Romero will be up against here, the penalties become exponentially severe, including a potential jail sentence of 10-20 years behind bars, as well as fines of up to $500,000.