Arrested in April, 2016, Vaughn A. Thomas Jr. could face 14 years in New Jersey state prison
Vaughn A. Thomas Jr., 21, pleaded guilty on Monday, March 27 to second-degree possession of heroin with intent to distribute and second-degree possession of a firearm by a convicted person.
As a result of plea negotiations, Senior Assistant Gloucester County Prosecutor Staci Scheetz will recommend Thomas be sentenced to 14 years in state prison on the narcotics charge, with a stipulation that he must serve 58 months of the sentence before he is eligible for parole. On the weapons offense, the recommended concurrent sentence will be five years in state prison. Thomas must serve the entire term before becoming eligible for parole.
Because Thomas had a prior narcotics conviction, he is to be sentenced on the second-degree heroin plea as a first-degree offender, in the 10-to 20-year range.
Superior Court Judge Robert P. Becker scheduled the sentencing for June 2.
Following an investigation by the Washington Township Police Department that began in July 2015, Thomas was arrested on April 24, 2016, in possession of more than one-half ounce of heroin. In a court-authorized search of his residence, two loaded handguns were found in his bedroom. He has been in jail since his arrest.
