TOMS RIVER – A Toms River man was sentenced Friday to three years in New Jersey State Prison for a string of violent and destructive incidents in Lacey and Brick townships in 2024, Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced.
Charles Maulbeck, 51, was sentenced by Superior Court Judge Guy P. Ryan to three years for aggravated assault, three years for arson and 18 months for criminal mischief. The sentences will run concurrently.
Maulbeck pleaded guilty to aggravated assault July 8, 2024, for striking a Lacey Township homeowner with an axe during an April 9, 2024, altercation. The victim sustained minor injuries.
He also pleaded guilty June 9, 2025, to arson for a Sept. 13, 2024, house fire on Falkenberg Road in Brick Township that injured three firefighters. Investigators determined the blaze was intentionally set.
Finally, Maulbeck admitted to smashing the rear window of a vehicle at a Lacey Township residence Sept. 14, 2024. He was arrested that day and has remained in custody since.
Billhimer credited multiple local and county law enforcement units for their combined efforts in the investigations leading to Maulbeck’s convictions and prison sentence.
