Two New Jersey men who work for Monmouth County have been charged with drug possession. The cases have made the local news, leaving both men with their names and places of employment shared with the public. Unfortunately, both men have likely sustained serious damage to their personal and professional reputations, even before the matters go before a court of law. One is accused of possession of marijuana, while the other is alleged to have had prescription drugs on his person.
One of the men, a 49-year-old from Freehold, was recently arrested at the public works compound, where he has worked for the past 12 years as a heavy equipment operator. His home and vehicle were searched, and police allegedly found close to a pound of marijuana, as well as an undisclosed volume of Oxycodone. He has been charged with possession of both substances and with distribution of the prescription medication.
The other man, who is 21 years of age, was charged with possession of Oxycodone. He has been working for the county for more than a year in the highway department. Both arrests come after a two-month-long investigation into suspected drug activities within the public works department. It is unknown whether additional arrests are expected.
As these men move forward in their cases, it is important to underscore the fact that not every criminal charge is heard before a court of law. In some cases, charges are dismissed due to lack of evidence, problems with witnesses or flaws in the manner that the investigation or arrests were conducted. Unfortunately, for those in New Jersey who are accused of possession of marijuana or other drugs, a great deal of damage is already done in the wake of media coverage of their arrest.
Source: my9newjersey.com, "2 Monmouth County public works employees face drug charges", March 14, 2015