TOMS RIVER – A local man will be serving at least five years in prison for dealing heroin and also having a gun, police said.
Zachary Lockwood, 25, of Toms River will have to serve five years of his ten year sentence before he is eligible for parole. His charges were Possession of One Half Ounce or More of Heroin with Intent to Distribute, Certain Person Not to Possess a Weapon, and Resisting Arrest.
Police had him under surveillance as a person suspected of dealing drugs. On August 29, 2023 they executed warrants. They followed him to a local store and approached him as he was leaving. He resisted arrest but was taken into custody. Police searched his vehicle and home, finding approximately 215 wax folds of heroin in his car and 2,000 in his home, where they also found a .40 caliber handgun.
He was released due to the state’s bail reform laws. However, on September 26, 2023, police tried to pull him over for running a red light at the intersection of Fischer Boulevard and Route 37. Instead of pulling over, he sped up, driving recklessly on Fischer and the nearby residential areas. His vehicle hit a curb and came to rest in the middle of the road. He’s been in police custody ever since.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer commended the efforts of Assistant Prosecutor Stephen Burke who handled these matters on behalf of the State, and acknowledged the Toms River Township Police Department, Toms River Township Police Department Special Enforcement Team, and Toms River Township Police Department K-9 Unit, for their combined and collaborative assistance in connection with these investigations leading to Lockwood’s guilty pleas, and now his state prison sentence.
