Karey Fry - New Jersey
#480038
State: New Jersey
Sentence: 12 years
Offense: Possession with intent to distribute marijuana in the 1st degree
Court: Ocean County
Priors: Karey served less than one year of a 3-year sentence for manufacturing and distributing LSD in the 1st degree (10/24/1994)
Date of Birth: 4/6/1975
Date of Sentencing: 3/12/2004
Projected Release Date: 8/18/2008
Nature of Offense: When a criminal informant (CI) came to Ocean County authorities with allegations that Karey Fry was distributing marijuana in the area, officers arranged a controlled buy between the CI and Karey. The CI was a drug dealer that Karey had known and exchanged drugs with since 1997. He had recently been arrested and was assisting police with the hopes of getting a reduced sentence in return. Shortly after the controlled buy took place in June 2003, police arrested Karey and obtained a warrant to search her home. Inside her home, police discovered and seized over 50 marijuana plants and growing equipment. Karey was consequently charged with possession with intent to distribute marijuana in the 1st degree. She pled guilty and received a 12-year sentence.
Guideline Sentence: In New Jersey, possession of 50 or more marijuana plants, regardless of weight, is a 1st Degree offense that warrants a maximum sentence of 20 years. Karey accepted a plea bargain and was sentenced to 12 years under the Brimage Act. She will not be eligible for parole for at least 4 ½ years.
Personal Background: Karey was born and raised in New Jersey. She began to use marijuana at the age of 14 and experimented with drugs throughout her teenage years. After graduating from high school in 1993, Karey worked a series of retail jobs and remained gainfully employed. She continued to further her education into her twenties and received an Associate in Arts degree from Ocean County College in 2000. While she was successful in her employment endeavors, Karey continued her marijuana use and even began to sell the drug on occasion. However, she was not a drug kingpin by any stretch of the imagination and had very few financial assets at the time of her arrest.
Compiled from PSR and inmate information.
BA 6/21/06