An Atlantic City man was ordered held in jail after his second drug arrest in the two months since he was released from prison in a gun case.
Isa Salaam, 20, was arrested Nov. 16, after a motor vehicle stop in Atlantic City led to the discovery of crack cocaine and cash alleged to be from drug sales, according to the charges.
It was Salaam’s second drug charge. He was first arrested Oct. 6, about three weeks after his release from the Garden State Youth Correctional Facility, where he served about 17 months for unlawful possession of a handgun.
Atlantic City police released him on a summons for the October drug case, court records show.
Salaam’s criminal history dates to when he was a minor.
He was involved in a shooting in 2020, and sentenced to a term at the Training School for Boys, Chief Assistant Prosecutor Allison Eiselen told the judge.
The incident was not detailed in court, but Salaam would have been about 16 or 17 at the time.
A loaded handgun with a high-capacity drum magazine and ammunition was found in the vehicle, police said at the time.
Salaam had an active warrant at the time for removing his ankle monitor, Eiselen said.
He was given a plea deal of three years with one year of parole ineligibility. He was released Sept. 14 of this year.
“It’s really a continuous history of criminality and re-engagement in crime in Atlantic County,” Eiselen said.
Defense attorney Durann Neil argued that his client should not be judged for his actions as a juvenile. In the current case, his client was stopped and found with “a miniscule amount of (drugs).”
The money, Neil said, was not from drug proceeds but money he was holding because his home had burned down.
Judge Donna Taylor agreed with the state and ordered Salaam held.
