An Atlantic City man with a history of drug and gun charges will stay jailed on new allegations.
Alexander Botchway, 33, was released from South Woods State Prison in May, after serving about three years of a seven-year sentence on drug charges.
He allegedly was in possession of drugs again when police pulled him over last week.
Officers saw Botchway going into and out of a home in the city, and then speed away, Assistant Prosecutor Paige Cramer told the judge.
When police followed, Botchway continued to speed, disregarded stop sign and made other motor vehicle infractions, according to the charges.
But defense attorney Samantha Geisinger said Botchway was not trying to flee police, and that she believes further evidence will show he committed no traffic violations, making the stop unlawful.
Inside the vehicle, police found a variety of drugs, along with a digital scale that had residue of suspected cocaine, Cramer said.
Police also identified about 12½ grams of cocaine, more than 75 pills believed to be Ecstasy, 4 grams of fentanyl and Xanax.
Botchway has been working to turn over a new leaf since his release from prison May 30, his attorney said. He is also contributing financial to the raising of his 3-year-old daughter.
She pointed to a job working through one company at both Atlantic City Boardwalk Hall and the Wildwood Convention Center, and said he was to start a new job at the Golden Nugget on Tuesday.
Geisinger also said she believes he could be eligible for Recovery Court on the new charges.
He was admitted to the drug court program in 2019, less than a month before he was found with heroin after he allegedly fought with police. That is the sentence he completed in May.
The public safety assessment, which is used to help determine if a defendant is held pretrial under bail reform, recommended he be released.
Judge Dorothy Garrabrant disagreed.
She determined that the PSA did not take into consideration the full picture, including that the defendant's criminal history spans to when turned 18.
"Significant state prison sentences including seven years in 2020 have done nothing to deter or rehabilitate this defendant," the judge said.
He previously served time for drugs, guns and an armed robbery.
Botchway and another man were arrested in October 2017, with drugs and a gun. He had been out of prison only six months at that time.
That June, he was shot in the hand. A Pleasantville man was arrested. John Gilmore is currently in prison on that case.
That same month, Botchway was charged with possession of illegal substances after he was found with suboxone and heroin at the Mercer County Correctional Center, NJ.com reported at the time.
Botchway now faces 18 counts and will remain in the Atlantic County Justice Facility.
