TOMS RIVER, N.J. — A Barnegat Township man has been sentenced to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison for narcotics distribution and other charges, following multiple investigations that led to his arrest, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced Friday.
Quaison Ellis, 25, was sentenced by Judge Kenneth T. Palmer in connection with his guilty plea to charges of heroin and cocaine distribution, illegal firearm possession, and burglary. The sentences, which will run concurrently, include two 10-year terms for heroin and cocaine distribution, a 5-year term for possession of a firearm by a person not permitted to possess one, and a 3-year term for burglary.
Ellis pleaded guilty to the charges on July 15, 2024, stemming from two separate incidents in Barnegat. The first incident occurred on September 10, 2021, when law enforcement observed Ellis leaving a Barnegat residence, traveling to Paterson, N.J., and returning with a bag containing approximately 1,550 wax folds of heroin. Ellis was arrested following a motor vehicle stop and later released under New Jersey Bail Reform guidelines.
The second incident took place on December 9, 2022, when a court-authorized search warrant was executed at the same Barnegat residence. Officers seized quantities of heroin, cocaine, and a Keltec .32 caliber firearm that had been reported stolen from a vehicle in Stafford Township. Ellis was again taken into custody but was released under New Jersey Bail Reform.
Ellis’s sentences reflect the severity of his offenses, and his incarceration will begin immediately.