Brigantine Traffic Stop Leads to Prison Sentence

A Hammonton man has been sentenced to five years in New Jersey State Prison, according to prosecutors.

Alex Crawford, 27, was sentenced May 21, with one year of parole ineligibility, on a charge of unlawful possession of a handgun.

Crawford Served Time for Forgery

Crawford received credit for time served on one count of forgery.

Prosecutors said the forgery charge stemmed from an Oct. 14, 2022, incident in which Crawford deposited a $5,950 check into his own account.

The check had originally been made out to American Express, but prosecutors said white-out was used and the check was forged to be made out to Crawford.

Crawford Arrested With Gun, Drugs in Brigantine

The gun charge stemmed from an April 23, 2024, motor vehicle stop by Brigantine police. Prosecutors said officers discovered Crawford had an active arrest warrant and saw drug paraphernalia in plain view inside the vehicle.

Crawford was also arrested for a warrant, with additional charges of possession of crack cocaine, possession of prohibited hollow-point ammunition, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

A search of the vehicle revealed a loaded Ruger handgun, with one round of ammunition in the chamber, inside an open backpack in the backseat of the vehicle.

A loaded magazine, along with loose ammunition and cocaine, was also found inside the vehicle.