WILDWOOD CREST, N.J. — A Philadelphia man was arrested early Friday morning in Wildwood Crest after a routine traffic stop led police to uncover distribution amounts of various controlled dangerous substances (CDS). The incident occurred at approximately 3:10 a.m. near the intersection of Denver Road and Atlantic Avenue.
Matthew Monroe, 38, was stopped by K9 Officer Tyler Lavender of the Wildwood Crest Police Department. During the stop, Officer Lavender became suspicious that the vehicle contained evidence of criminal activity. K9 Quest, a police dog trained to detect narcotics, was deployed to perform an exterior sniff of the vehicle.
K9 Quest indicated the presence of a narcotic odor, prompting officers to conduct a search of the vehicle. According to the Wildwood Crest Police Department, the search revealed distribution amounts of suspected cocaine, Xanax, and ecstasy. In addition to the drugs, officers also found paraphernalia associated with drug distribution and an undisclosed amount of cash believed to be proceeds from illegal narcotic sales.
Monroe has been charged with three counts of possession of CDS with intent to distribute within 500 feet of a public park, three counts of possession of CDS with intent to distribute, three counts of possession of CDS, money laundering, possession of CDS distribution paraphernalia, and possession of CDS paraphernalia.
The cash seized during the arrest has been submitted for forfeiture.
