Freehold men facing charges following drug bust in Jackson
BY DAVE BENJAMIN
Staff Writer

JACKSON - Three Freehold Town-ship residents were arrested by Jackson police on Jan. 8 and charged with drug distribution and conspiracy.

According to information provided by police, a three-week investigation by Jackson detectives Howard Bogan and Mitch Cowit resulted in the arrest of Curtis Ziegler, 43, Antonio Hernandez, 20, and Moses Hernandez, 27. All three individuals live in the same residence on Stonehurst Boulevard, Freehold Town-ship.

Police said the arrests were made at a Hess gasoline station on Bennetts Mills Road.

In a report, Detective Lt. John Siedler said Moses Hernandez arrived at the gas station at 7:55 p.m. and was arrested shortly after distributing approximately 13 grams of a substance believed to be cocaine to Bogan, who was working undercover. Ziegler and Antonio Hernandez were arrested after arriving at the gas station at 9:52 p.m.

Siedler said Ziegler was charged with conspiring with the Hernandez brothers to distribute cocaine to Bogan twice previously with Antonio Hernandez and again on Jan. 8 with Antonio Hernandez and Moses Hernandez.

Antonio Hernanadez was charged with distributing cocaine to Bogan on two previous occasions, with conspiring with Moses Hernandez to distribute cocaine on Jan. 8, and with possession of 0.6 grams of cocaine police found on his person at the time of his arrest.

Police said two vehicles owned by Zeigler were seized, one which had been used during all three occasions and the second which was used on Jan. 8 by Moses Hernandez.

Assisting with the arrests were officers Edward Howe, James Reynolds, George Vidalis, William Campbell and Edward Travisano of the Jackson Police Department, two officers assigned to the New Jersey State Police Street Gang Unit and an investigator from the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office.

All three defendants were placed in the Ocean County jail, Toms River, in default of $75,000 bail.

Police said Antonio Hernandez and Moses Hernandez are Mexican nationals and further investigation of their immigration status is required.