Traffic Stop Leads to Recovery of More Than 250 Bags of Heroin

A routine traffic stop Saturday night resulted in the recovery of 251 bags of heroin and drug charges for two Ocean County men, according to police.

Officer Iain James stopped a 2007 Honda on Route 70 in the borough at about 11:56 p.m. after the driver failed to stay in his lane. When James approached the car, "he observed in plain view a bundle of heroin (10 bags) on the passenger side floor of the vehicle," said Lakehurst Chief of Police Eric Higgins in a statement. 

After further investigation at the scene, police allege that the driver, Brian McCauley, 37, of Toms River, was in possession of 175 bags of heroin. The passenger, Nicholas Girgenti, 30, with a last know address in Point Pleasant, allegedly had 76 bags of heroin, Higgins said. 

Girgenti was charged with possession of heroin, possession of heroin with intent to distribute, possession with intent to distribute heroin within 1,000 feet of a school and failure to wear a seatbelt. 

McCauley faces the same charges, in addition to possession of a controlled dangerous substance in a motor vehicle and failure to maintain lane offenses, according to Higgins. 

Both men were taken to the Ocean County Jail in Toms River, where bail for each was set at $150,000 with no 10 percent option by Judge Damian Murray. The Honda was seized for forfeiture proceedings, Higgins said.