An alleged Pleasantville drug dealer accused of brandishing a gun at a man who owed him money will remain in jail.
Jerome Holley, 39, just got out of prison Sept. 27, and already had 12 pending charges when he was arrested Friday at a home in the 400 block of Sunset Court.
Inside the home, police found a Tech-22 assault firearm, a sawed-off shotgun, ammunition, rifle grip, and what the prosecutor in the case called a “massive amount of drugs.”
Holley’s criminal history includes drugs and weapons offenses, aggravated assault, and burglary.
He also was convicted of escaping detention, Assistant Prosecutor Gina DeAnnuntis noted in arguing that Holley would be a flight risk if released.
Defense attorney Mary Linehan said Holley does not live in Pleasantville but instead is a 20-year resident of Absecon. He pays support for his 6-year-old daughter. She noted Holley was concerned about staying in the jail due to his medical issues that include high blood pressure and kidney disfunction.
Police were called to the Pleasantville residence by a man who said Holley had threatened him with a gun. After a short standoff, the three people inside the home came out.
Travaghn Wood, 41, of Atlantic City, and Calviena Oliver, 32, of Pleasantville, were inside a bedroom where the guns were hidden, according to information released during detention hearings for Holley and Wood.
They were charged with possession of an assault firearm and certain persons not to possess a weapon.
But merely being where weapons were hidden from site was not enough to charge, Wood’s attorney argued.
“Mr. Wood was sleeping in a residence of somebody he is friendly with,” attorney Robert Johnson told the judge. “Mere presence is generally not enough for conviction.”
But it is enough for probable cause, Superior Court Judge Bernard DeLury found.
It was also enough for him to order Wood held, based on his criminal history, which includes what DeAnnuntis called “lengthy periods of incarceration on four separate occasions.”
He also had nine failures to appear, and two pending child endangerment charges.
Oliver’s detention hearing was postponed to Wednesday.
All three are charged with possession of a weapon by a convicted felon.
