A Lacey Township man whose actions spanned from threats of racially charged violence to an illegal drug distribution operation will now spend the next several years behind bars.
Ocean County Prosecutor Brad Billhimer announced that John Vincentini, 64, was sentenced to five years in New Jersey State Prison for Bias Intimidation, stemming from a disturbing incident that occurred in September 2022. He received additional concurrent prison terms for firearms and narcotics charges related to a separate investigation in 2024.
The case traces back to a chilling confrontation on September 5, 2022, when Vincentini followed an Amazon delivery driver into a cul-de-sac and used his car to block the driver’s vehicle. According to investigators, he confronted the driver with racially charged comments and questioned his presence in the neighborhood, asking if the man understood that “this is a racist neighborhood.” Vincentini then threatened to retrieve a rifle from his car and “shoot [the driver] in the head.”
The shaken delivery driver quickly left and contacted the Lacey Township Police Department, prompting an investigation by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Bias Crime Unit. Vincentini eventually surrendered to police a month later and was charged with Bias Intimidation.
But Vincentini’s legal troubles didn’t end there.
On March 15, 2024, authorities were alerted after a suspicious package — disguised in a repurposed Amazon box — containing marijuana was mistakenly delivered to the wrong address. The ensuing investigation, led by the Ocean County Narcotics Strike Force, revealed that Vincentini himself had delivered the drugs.
Just six days later, detectives executed a court-authorized search warrant at Vincentini’s residence. What they found painted the picture of a full-scale illegal operation: ten pounds of marijuana, 15 marijuana plants, packaging equipment, two assault-style firearms, a rifle-style BB gun, and $150,000 in cash.
Vincentini and his wife Karen Vincentini were both arrested at the scene without incident. While John has remained in custody at the Ocean County Jail since that day, Karen was later released. Charges against her remain pending.
I’ll bet he drove after the delivery truck because he was speeding in a residential neighborhood. And told the driver he was in a “residential neighborhood”. The driver was probably too busy with his phone or listening to his earbuds to pay attention to his speed. What was said between two adults is hearsay.