Admitted Drug Ring Leader from Brick to Serve up to 16 Years

The Brick Township-based chief defendant in the case of a drug ring that spread throughout Ocean, Monmouth, Essex and Mercer Counties will be sentenced to 16 years in prison.

Jeremy Zahn, 27, also agreed to eight years of parole ineligibility in a plea deal announced by the office of Ocean County Prosecutor Joseph D. Coronato.

Zahn pleaded guilty to a first degree charge of leading a narcotics trafficking network and second-degree counts of financial facilitation and eluding. He was assessed a $200,000 anti-drug profiteering penalty, authorities said. Zahn was released in August of this year after posting $350,000 bail, authorities said.

Twenty-five suspects in several counties and states were rounded up in April 2013 following a probe called "Operation Roadrunner" that began the preceding August. Search warrants were executed in Toms River, Brick Township, Lakewood, Manchester, Tinton Falls, West Windsor, and North Caldwell.

Investigators seized substantial amounts of marijuana, Ecstasy, LSD, psilocybin mushrooms and prescription drugs including Oxycodone, Roxicet, Zanax, Methadone, and Suboxone, officials said.

Also confiscated were 15 vehicles, about $91,000 cash, bank accounts containing about $70,000 in suspected drug proceeds and firearms including a loaded Smith and Wesson .44 Magnum handgun, a loaded 9-mm American Tactical pistol, a Weatherby 7-mm rifle.