Jersey City Man Convicted of Possession with Intent to Distribute Cocaine

Jersey man faces up to 20 years in prison after being found guilty of possessing and intending to distribute cocaine.

NEWARK, N.J. – A Jersey City man was convicted today on a charge of possession with intent to distribute cocaine, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.

Jamil King, 32, was convicted after a two-day trial before U.S. District Court Judge Esther Salas in Newark federal court. The jury deliberated for two hours before returning the guilty verdict.

King, a high-ranking member of the Jersey City street gang Parkside, was apprehended following a search warrant executed at his residence on July 8, 2022. Law enforcement officers recovered approximately 50 grams of cocaine from a pair of sweatpants inside the apartment, which contained King's DNA and matched the sweatshirt he was wearing that evening.

King faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine, with sentencing scheduled for Oct. 23, 2024.

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the Jersey City Police Department, under Director James Shea, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Field Division, under Acting Special Agent in Charge Ross A. Marchetti, for the investigation leading to the conviction.

The investigation was part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative (VCI), established in 2018 to combat violent crime in and around Jersey City. The VCI includes federal, state, county, and city agencies collaborating to prosecute violent offenders and ensure community safety.

The government was represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Desiree Grace, Chief of the Criminal Division, and Assistant U.S. Attorney Joseph Stern of the Office’s General Crimes Unit in Newark.