Mercer Man Charged With Illegally Possessing Firearms to Sell Fentanyl and Cocaine

Authorities allege the defendant sold narcotics while armed, leading to multiple felony charges.

A Mercer County resident faces serious legal consequences after federal authorities charged him with firearm and narcotics offenses. According to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger, 33-year-old Jose Colon-Matos of Trenton was arrested and charged with one count of being a previously convicted felon in possession of two firearms, one count of possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl, one count of possession with the intent to distribute cocaine, and one count of possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

He made his initial appearance on January 6, 2025, before U.S. Magistrate Judge Tonianne J. Bongiovanni in Trenton federal court and was detained pending a detention hearing scheduled for January 10, 2025.

Allegations and Investigation

Court documents detail that on May 15, 2024, “following an investigation into narcotics activity in Hamilton Township in Mercer County, law enforcement officers conducted a court-ordered search of an apartment used by Colon-Matos during which they recovered from a safe in the apartment two loaded firearms, including one with an obliterated serial number, distribution quantities of suspected fentanyl and cocaine, and approximately $9,000.00 in United States currency.” Subsequent lab tests “returned positive results for fentanyl and cocaine.”

Potential Penalties

The charge of being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm carries a potential maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000. The counts of possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. The charge of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence imposed, and a maximum potential penalty of life imprisonment, and a fine of $250,000.

Law Enforcement Efforts

U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Brian Driscoll in Newark, with the investigation leading to the charges. He also thanked the Hamilton Township Police Division, under the direction of Chief Kenneth R. DeBoskey, and the Mercer County Prosecutor’s Office, for their assistance in the investigation.

The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan S. Garelick of the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s Criminal Division in Trenton.

As the defendant awaits his scheduled court appearances, it is important to note that “the charges and allegations contained in the complaint are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.” Local authorities urge anyone with information about suspected criminal activity to contact law enforcement immediately.