Essex County Man Sentenced to 19 Years for Drug and Firearm Offenses

U.S. District Court hands down stiff prison term to Ricky Hubbard of Newark following his March 2023 conviction.

Morristown, NJ – An Essex County man, Ricky Hubbard, 46, was sentenced to 19 years in federal prison on October 12, 2023, for drug trafficking and firearms offenses. U.S. District Judge Kevin McNulty imposed the sentence in Newark federal court after Hubbard was convicted on March 13, 2023.

According to case documents and evidence presented during the trial, law enforcement officers pulled over Hubbard's car in Union, New Jersey, on November 6, 2019. A search of a concealed compartment in the vehicle revealed more than 369 doses of cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl ready for distribution, along with drug-packaging materials. Officers also found a loaded 9mm Taurus handgun.

Hubbard faced one count each of:

Possession of a firearm by a convicted felon
Possession with intent to distribute cocaine, heroin, and fentanyl
Possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime

Trial and Conviction

Hubbard was convicted after a four-day trial that concluded on March 13, 2023.

In addition to the 19-year prison term, Judge McNulty sentenced Hubbard to five years of supervised release.

U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited multiple law enforcement agencies for their role in the case. Special agents of the FBI in Newark, led by Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy; the Union Township Police Department, directed by Police Director Chris Donnelly; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office under Prosecutor William A. Daniel; and the Union County Sheriff’s Office, under Sheriff Peter D. Corvelli Jr., were all acknowledged for their efforts in the investigation.

The government's case was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Olta Bejleri and Emma Spiro of the Criminal Division in Newark.

This sentencing serves as a significant development in the ongoing battle against drug trafficking and illegal firearm possession in New Jersey.