Cocaine, Gambling Uncovered in Asbury Park Apartment Building, Investigators Say

A two-pronged raid on an Asbury Park apartment building uncovers a gambling den, implicates the owner, and lands several other suspects in trouble on drug possession counts, say Monmouth County investigators.

Joseph Robinson, 80, was charged with operating an illegal gambling establishment in a second-floor unit of the Bangs Avenue building, according to information from the office of acting County Prosecutor Chris Grammiccioni.

Investigators said they found more than a dozen people engaged in card games in the apartment.

Robert T. "King Islam" Pugh, 43, of Asbury Park, Tyking Troy "Burt" Pugh, 27, of Wall Township, and Adrian Leo Best, 43, of Neptune Township, are each charged with four counts involving cocaine possession, including intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of Asbury park Middle School and within 500 feet of the Prospect Avenue basketball courts.

Griffin Morris, 45, of Neptune, was also charged with one count of cocaine possession.

The operation by the Prosecutor's Tactical Narcotics Team (TNT) and Asbury Park and Neptune Police followed a two-month probe of cocaine flow in the city, addressed shootings and related violence, and aimed to bolster community confidence by raising law enforcement visibility, authorities said.

Tyking Pugh, Best, Robinson and Morris were released on criminal summonses, authorities said. Robert Pugh was released after posting $100,000 bail.