Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that Anthony Brown, 20, of Toms River, has pled guilty to charges of Aggravated Assault and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose. Brown entered his plea on January 21, 2025, before Judge David M. Fritch in connection with a shooting that occurred on June 12, 2024, in Toms River.
At Brown’s sentencing, scheduled for March 21, 2025, the State is expected to recommend a four-year prison term in New Jersey State Prison (NJSP) for the Aggravated Assault charge. For the weapons offense, the State will seek a five-year sentence with a 42-month period of parole ineligibility. Both sentences are to run concurrently.
The incident unfolded on June 12, 2024, at approximately 11:30 p.m., when Toms River Township Police responded to reports of gunfire at a residence on Adams Avenue. Officers found a 24-year-old male victim with a gunshot wound to his leg. The victim was transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune for treatment and was later released.
According to investigators from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit and Toms River Township Police Department, Brown retrieved a handgun from the residence and fired two shots at the victim’s vehicle, striking the victim. Brown fled the scene but was apprehended a short time later near Adams Avenue without incident. He has been held at the Ocean County Jail since his arrest.