By: Najla Alexander
Authorities in Atlantic County announced that on Monday, September 8, Frank Marquez, 58, of Atlantic City, pleaded guilty to maintaining a production facility for controlled dangerous substances and possession of controlled dangerous substances with the intent to distribute.
Under the terms of his plea agreement, Marquez is expected to be sentenced to an aggregate term of 12 years in New Jersey State Prison with two and one-half years of mandatory parole ineligibility, ACPO officials say.
According to Atlantic County officials, on August 15, 2024, members of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office’s Gangs, Guns, and Narcotics Unit executed a court-approved search warrant at Marquez’s apartment in Atlantic City.
In an upstairs bedroom, police located a baggie containing over one-half ounce of crystal methamphetamine, approximately 17 bottles of Gamma Butyrolactone with droppers, a small amount of powder ketamine, and fentanyl strips, Atlantic County authorities stated.
Additionally, ACPO officials said, police recovered a scale commonly utilized to weigh drugs for packaging and sale, a metal strainer, a plastic funnel, a large amount of rubber bands, assorted pipes and syringes, and numerous empty unused plastic baggies which were identical in appearance to the baggie which contained some of the methamphetamine.
During his guilty plea, Marquez admitted he was using his apartment to package drugs for sale, Atlantic County officials said. 
Marquez remains incarcerated in the Atlantic County Justice Facility pending his sentencing, which is scheduled to occur in October 2025.