Story by Ethan
On January 17th, 2025, charges against James Palmisano, age 43, were announced by Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. James Palmisano was charged with two counts of Possession of Weapon for Unlawful Purpose, Being a Certain Person Not to Possess a Weapon, Unlawful Possession of a Weapon without a Permit, three counts of Unlawful Possession of a Weapon, two counts of Possession of a Prohibited Weapon or Device, Possession of Methamphetamine, Possession of Steroids, and Possession of Drug Paraphernalia.
According to the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, on January 3rd, 2025, surveillance was organized outside of James Palmisano’s business, Island Automotive, as part of an ongoing narcotics investigation run by detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Strike Force, and the Berkeley Township Police Department. A court-ordered search warrant against Island Automotive and two trailers on the property were executed by the Ocean County Regional SWAT Team. Subsequently, detectives recovered two double barrel twelve gauge silver sawed-off shotguns, a .22 caliber single action rifle, a Flintlock pistol, approximately 19 vials of suspected steroids, an unspecified amount of methamphetamine, an unspecified amount of hollow point bullets, several BB guns, and drug paraphernalia suggesting activity of narcotics distribution. Two explosives were also discovered during the execution of the search warrant, and the New Jersey State Bomb Police Squad was dispatched to secure both devices. James Palmisano was apprehended without incident on January 3rd, 2025.
The Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office stated that the charges against James Palmisano are merely accusations, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.
