Man Tossed Drugs From Car, Faces 15 Years

Phillip Tarver, a 41-year-old Toms River resident, has pleaded guilty to multiple drug-related charges and eluding police, as announced by Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer. These charges stem from two separate arrests that occurred in 2025. Tarver's plea encompasses possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, financial facilitation, and eluding law enforcement officers.

His first arrest on January 21, 2025, involved detectives observing him during a cocaine transaction with Keith Morse. Tarver fled a subsequent traffic stop, and a search of his vehicle uncovered pills, a knife, and approximately $5,300 in cash. Following his transport to jail, he was found with about 110 grams of crack cocaine.

Tarver was arrested a second time on August 12, 2025, during a separate narcotics investigation. He again evaded a traffic stop on the Garden State Parkway, discarding items from his vehicle as he drove recklessly. Officers recovered approximately 21 grams of cocaine along the pursuit route. He was apprehended in Barnegat with about $10,000 in cash.

Prosecutors are expected to recommend a sentence of 12 years for the drug distribution charges, plus three years for financial facilitation, and seven years concurrently for eluding police. Tarver's co-defendant, Keith Morse, pleaded guilty to possession of cocaine with intent to distribute and is scheduled for sentencing on August 21, 2026. Tarver's sentencing is tentatively set for September 11, 2026.