Man Convicted in Multi-State Cocaine Conspiracy

Marvin Murphy, formerly of Camden, faces up to 20 years in prison following a 2021 undercover drug operation in Mount Laurel

A Philadelphia man was convicted on March 18, 2025, for his role in a conspiracy to distribute cocaine, according to an announcement by U.S. Attorney John Giordano. Marvin Murphy, 48, of Camden, New Jersey, was found guilty after a two-day bench trial before Chief U.S. District Judge Renée Marie Bumb and was immediately remanded into custody.

Murphy was implicated in a drug trafficking operation that spanned multiple states and involved coordination with other individuals, including Carl Lee Holloway and Lavinston Lamar. According to court records and trial evidence, from June 2021 through mid-July 2021, Murphy and his co-conspirators planned to distribute significant quantities of cocaine in New Jersey.

The case unfolded after Holloway traveled to San Diego, California, on June 23, 2021, to meet with an undercover federal agent posing as a cocaine supplier. During this meeting, Holloway called Murphy to discuss logistics for a cocaine shipment of at least 10 kilograms. Over the following weeks, Murphy and others maintained contact with the undercover agent to coordinate the transaction.

On July 13, 2021, Murphy, Holloway, and Lamar each arrived separately at a hotel in Mount Laurel, New Jersey, carrying bags filled with cash. The collective sum totaled more than $340,000. Inside a hotel room, they met with undercover agents and briefly examined a kilogram of cocaine that had been placed in the room. Law enforcement officers then entered and arrested all three individuals.

Murphy’s conviction follows earlier guilty pleas by his co-conspirators. Holloway was sentenced to 120 months in federal prison, while Lamar received a reduced sentence of 100 months after initially being sentenced to 114 months. Lamar also admitted to violating conditions of his supervised release related to a previous cocaine conspiracy conviction.

Murphy now faces a statutory maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. Sentencing is scheduled for July 17, 2025.

The investigation was conducted by Homeland Security Investigations (HSI), with agents operating out of Newark and San Diego, in collaboration with the Mount Laurel Police Department. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Katelyn Waegener from the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.