Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that Altariq Coursey, 40, of Edgewater Park in Burlington County was sentenced by the Honorable Michael L. Ravin, Judge of the Superior Court, to 22 years in New Jersey State Prison for distribution of cocaine.
Coursey must serve 11 years before he is eligible for parole.
Following an eight-day trial, a jury convicted Coursey of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, a first degree offense because of the quantity of cocaine. He was also found guilty of possession of cocaine with intent to distribute within 1,000 feet of a school and possession of various drug paraphernalia used to weigh and package large quantities of cocaine.
Today in court Assistant Prosecutor Jamel Semper, who tried the case, said there was over $10,000 of cocaine found in the Fuller Place apartment in Irvington on Jan. 18, 2012 when New Jersey State Police executed a search warrant of the premises following a month long investigation of Coursey.
Semper had argued for a 36-year sentence with an 18-year period of parole ineligibility because of Coursey’s extensive prior record. Coursey has a total of seven felony convictions, dating back to 1992, involving drugs and weapons, Semper noted.
“On two prior occasions he was given the benefit of probation. Yet, he was not deterred. He continued this criminal conduct in two states -- New Jersey and Georgia, now he will be held accountable.’’ said Semper.