A Pleasantville man arrested with drugs and two stolen handguns while on supervised release will now stay in jail, a judge ruled Monday.
Andre Muhammad, 20, was arrested Nov. 25, after State Trooper Robert Cantoni stopped a car he was a passenger in for a traffic violation in Hamilton Township, according to State Police.
Inside the vehicle, police said they found $445 worth of drugs and two stolen guns.
Muhammad told police the guns and drugs were his, according to information provided during his detention hearing Monday.
Muhammad already was on pre-trial release for a 2019 which Judge Patricia Wild said was “remarkably similar” to the charges he now faces, including drug and weapon possession.
But his defense attorney said he expects the earlier charges to be dismissed, saying the co-defendants in that case have taken responsibility and one will even say Muhammad was not there.
Assistant Prosecutor Marissa McGarvey questioned the coincidence that Muhammad twice just happened to be with people who had drugs and guns.
It was too much of a coincidence for the judge, who ordered Muhammad detained pending trial.
The defendant then asked if he could appeal the decision.
When the judge said he could, he then said he wanted to appeal it before the funeral of his uncle, who recently died. But Wild cut him off and said he could speak with his attorney.
Muhammad allegedly had a .40-caliber handgun, a .45-caliber handgun, two high-capacity magazines, heroin and THC oil at the time of the search at about 10:30 p.m. Nov. 25. Both guns had been reported stolen.
He will now remain in the Atlantic County Justice Facility, pending a successful appeal or the outcome of his cases.
