New Jersey man ruthlessly distributed massive amount of cocaine across Jersey Shore

A drug dealer who resides in the Cliffwood section of Aberdeen Township in Monmouth County has been convicted for distributing copious amounts of cocaine and crack cocaine across communities at the Jersey Shore.

The drug trafficking 42-year-old Damion Helmes is responsible for caught the attention of local, state, and federal lawmakers.

Acting U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger said that Helmes was actually one of 20 people charged in August of 2019 for their roles in distributing cocaine across Monmouth and Ocean Counties following an investigation by the FBI's Jersey Shore Gang and Criminal Organization Task Force, thus leading to federal charges because of his and their federal crimes.

Helmes and the other drug dealers gathered the cocaine and cocaine base and started selling it across several municipalities from Cliffwood to Keansburg as well as Matawan, Keyport, Red Bank, Long Branch, Neptune, Asbury Park and then down in Brick Township between April and August of 2019.

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His role was getting supplies, cooking the cocaine so it would become crack cocaine and then Helmes would sell both to other conspirators, dealers, sub-dealers, and users across Monmouth County, according to Attorney Sellinger.

For his efforts, Helmes was arrested, charged and convicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute cocaine, one count of possession with intent to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base, and one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and in addition to that, a grand jury charged him in August with conspiracy and substantive cocaine and crack cocaine offenses.

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That all tallies up to Helmes facing a possible 5-40 years in prison and a $5-million fine for conspiracy to distribute 28 grams or more of cocaine base and possession of 28 or more grams of cocaine base with intent to distribute.

On top of that, Helmes is looking at a possible 20-year prison sentence and a $1-million fine for the cocaine conspiracy and cocaine distribution counts of conviction.

Helmes was also charged in August with two firearms offenses, that he was later found not guilty of in court.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger said that in this case, the government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Ian D. Brater and Alexander E. Ramey of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton and the Defense Counsel is Jerome A. Ballarotto Esq., Trenton, New Jersey.