Police Recover Drugs, Cash from Brick Home

Police recovered thousands of dollars worth of drugs and cash from a Herbertsville home during a raid last week, the culmination of a months-long investigation that led to the arrest of a 23-year-old township man.

The Brick Township Police Drug Enforcement Unit had been investigating the illegal distribution of prescription medication, according to Capt. John Rein. On Dec. 29 at 12:30 p.m., Brick Police detectives and officers from the Brick Police Special Emergency Response Team executed a warrant on a residence on the 1200 block of Herkimer Road related to the investigation.

Seized during the search was over $20,000 in cash along with quantities of marijuana, roxicet pills, ecstasy pills and psilocybin mushrooms along with hypodermic syringes and other drug paraphernalia, Rein said. The street value of the drugs seized is estimated at over $25,000, Rein said.

Police arrested Andrew Abken, 23, during the search of the home, and Abken's 2008 Jeep Cherokee was seized.

Abken was charged with one count each of possession of roxicet with the intent to distribute; possession of ecstasy with the intent to distribute; possession of marijuana over 50 grams with the intent to distribute; possession of psilocybin mushrooms; possession of drug paraphernalia; and possession of hypodermic syringes.

"The search warrant execution culminated several months of an investigation by the Brick Police Drug Enforcement Unit," Rein said in a statement.

Abken was transported to the Ocean County Jail, Toms River, in lieu of $100,000 bail set by Brick Municipal Court Judge Robert LePore. He has since been released on bail, Rein said.

Brick police were assisted in the investigation by agents and investigators from the FBI Safe Streets Task Force.