Jackson Township, New Jersey – A man from Freehold Borough named Michael Vulpis, 26, pleaded guilty to charges of Aggravated Assault with a Deadly Weapon and Possession of a Weapon for an Unlawful Purpose in connection with an incident in Jackson Township on June 27, 2024. The plea was made before Judge Kimarie Rahill, J.S.C.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer disclosed that the State will be seeking a 5-year term in New Jersey State Prison for both charges, with the sentences to run concurrently. Vulpis is scheduled for sentencing on April 4, 2025.
The incident in question took place in the early hours of June 27, 2024, with officers responding to a report of a man sustaining a gunshot wound on Larsen Road. The victim, a 27-year-old male, was found with a gunshot wound to his face and was later treated at Jersey Shore University Medical Center in Neptune.
Investigations by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit, Jackson Township Police Department, and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit revealed that the victim and a female were in a parked vehicle when they were approached by two males from a blue sedan. The victim was shot in the face during an altercation that followed.
Further developments in the case revealed that a second assailant, Noah Phelps, 24, from Monroe Township, was also involved in the attack. Phelps was charged with Attempted Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Murder, leading to his subsequent arrest.
Additionally, Glenn Franzson, 32, of Jackson Township, was implicated in tampering with a witness and conspiring to hinder the investigation by coercing the victim to provide false information. Franzson was arrested after a search of his residence yielded illegal substances and firearms.
Both Phelps and Franzson faced multiple charges including Possession of Illegal Weapons, Drug Possession, and further legal action is pending. The authorities continue to pursue justice in this complex case of violence and criminal activity.