Bridgeton Man Chester Williams Sentenced to 18 Years for Cocaine, Firearms Sales

Chester Williams, 58, of Bridgeton, received an 18‑year term in New Jersey State Prison after pleading guilty in April 2025 to first‑degree distribution of cocaine and second‑degree unlawful possession of a weapon, prosecutors said. The sentence was imposed by Superior Court Judge Kevin T. Smith and entered pursuant to a plea agreement.

Prosecutors say Williams sold cocaine and four firearms to undercover officers on several occasions, and that he was originally charged on 23 counts of a 44‑count indictment. The Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office and reporting in the Courier‑Post identify the undercover buys and the multi‑count indictment as central to the case against the 58‑year‑old Bridgeton man.

The case grew out of a multi‑state narcotics trafficking investigation started by the New Jersey State Police in June 2021, with investigative activity conducted from February through May 2022 that “ultimately led to the arrest of multiple individuals.” Gloucester County Prosecutor Andrew B. Johns said, “This sentence is the result of years of coordinated investigative and prosecutorial work across multiple jurisdictions.” Johns added, “Through extensive surveillance, undercover work, and close collaboration with our law enforcement partners, we were able to disrupt a significant narcotics and firearms operation that posed a serious threat to our community.”

Court filings and reporting place Williams’ sentencing in Woodbury before Judge Kevin T. Smith; the State was represented at the hearing by First Assistant Prosecutor Dana Anton. GloucesterCityNews noted the sentence was entered pursuant to a plea agreement while the Courier‑Post cited the same prosecutor statement repeating the coordinated investigative work across multiple jurisdictions.

Williams’ conviction and sentence are part of a broader sweep tied to the same investigation. Anthony Williams, 46, “was sentenced on June 13, 2025 to 15 years in NJ State Prison for first‑degree distribution of cocaine,” GloucesterCityNews reported. The outlet also lists Djanyra Lawson, 29, as “currently in pretrial intervention,” and Adam Keith, 38, as “sentenced on Nov. 7, 2025 to 2 years of probation for third degree possession of cocaine.”

Public records and the reporting supplied do not identify a defense attorney for Chester Williams, nor do they detail the types or serial numbers of the four firearms prosecutors say were sold to undercover officers. The sources also do not state whether Williams’ 18‑year term includes concurrent or consecutive components, parole eligibility, or other conditions of confinement at New Jersey State Prison, leaving those as follow‑up items for court clerks and the Gloucester County Prosecutor’s Office.