A man tied to a large-scale drug operation spanning two New Jersey counties has been sentenced to decades in prison after being convicted on multiple narcotics and weapons charges.

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Jason Bacon, 43, formerly of Brick Township, was sentenced on April 17, 2026, by Judge Guy P. Ryan to a total of 32 years in New Jersey State Prison, with 12 years of parole ineligibility.

The sentence includes 16 years for maintaining a controlled dangerous substance facility, eight years for possession of a firearm during a drug offense, and eight years for financial facilitation. Those terms will run consecutively. Bacon also received additional concurrent sentences related to marijuana and hashish possession and distribution, as well as failure to file and pay income tax.

Authorities said the case dates back to December 2017, when police in Clayton Borough uncovered a suspicious greenhouse built behind a vacant home on Delsea Drive. The property was found to be consuming unusually high levels of water and electricity and receiving freight shipments tied to marijuana cultivation.

Investigators later determined the property was owned by Bacon, who also maintained a residence in Brick Township.

Search warrants executed in April 2018 at both locations led to the seizure of more than 25 pounds of marijuana, over five pounds of hashish and related products, marijuana plants, drug cultivation equipment, and a loaded .25 caliber handgun. Bacon was arrested at his Brick Township home and initially detained before being released in April 2019 under New Jersey bail reform laws.

A financial investigation further revealed that Bacon deposited more than $400,000 in proceeds from illegal drug sales between 2013 and 2018 and failed to pay taxes on that income.

Bacon’s trial began in January 2025, but he failed to appear and was tried in absentia. A jury found him guilty on all counts on January 30, 2025.