By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Atlantic County announced that on Tuesday, November 12, Michael E. Hayes, 47, of Absecon, was sentenced by the Honorable Donna Taylor, J.S.C., to eight years in New Jersey State Prison for second-degree conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine out of the Showboat Hotel in Atlantic City.
Hayes also agreed to forfeiture in the amount of $6, 417. 50 in US currency, Atlantic City Police said.
This sentence is to run concurrent to the 60 years he is currently serving in New Jersey State Prison subject to the No Early Release Act, where he must serve 85 percent of his time before being eligible for parole for first-degree robbery, home invasion, and related offenses, officials say.
According to Atlantic County officials, on December 16, 2020, during the home-invasion investigation on Michael Hayes, members of the Atlantic County HIDTA Task Force, Franklin Township Police Department, and the Atlantic City Police Department SWAT executed a search warrant at Hayes’ secondary residence at the Showboat Hotel, room 1921, located at 801 Boardwalk, Atlantic City, NJ.
During the search, receipts of cash payments were recovered for room 1921 bearing the name of Michael Hayes as well as mail bearing his name, Atlantic County officials stated.
Atlantic City Police said detectives also recovered approximately 4.8 grams of suspected fentanyl/heroin and approximately 12.6 grams of suspected crystal methamphetamine.
Several narcotic production facility items were also recovered in the room, including five digital scales, rubber bands, cutting agents, several boxes of small empty heroin folds, spoons, ink stampers, sandwich bags, a vacuum sealer, mixers, and sifters with residue, Atlantic County authorities said.
According to Atlantic County officials, detectives also recovered a 50-round high-capacity ammunition magazine fully loaded with hollow point bullets.