By: Richard L. Smith
A Somerset County man has been sentenced to more than a decade in state prison following convictions on multiple weapons and drug-related charges, according to information released by prosecutors.
Authorities said Robert G. Wilson sentenced 34-year-old Kenneth James on March 31, 2026, to an aggregate term of 11 years in New Jersey State Prison.
The sentence includes five years of parole ineligibility.
The conviction follows a two-week trial that concluded on May 22, 2025, where a Somerset County jury found James guilty of several offenses, including unlawful possession of a handgun, possession of a firearm during a drug offense, and possession of a controlled dangerous substance with intent to distribute.
Officials said James failed to appear at the conclusion of his trial and again missed his scheduled sentencing in August 2025.
A bench warrant was issued, and he remained a fugitive for more than six months.
According to authorities, members of the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office Organized Crime and Narcotics Task Force located James on February 18, 2026, outside a residence on Lenox Place in Somerset.
When detectives attempted to take him into custody, he fled into the home and barricaded himself inside a second-floor room.
The Somerset County SWAT Team was called to the scene, but investigators later determined James had escaped through a second-story window and entered a nearby unoccupied residence.
He was ultimately apprehended and now faces additional charges, including burglary and resisting arrest, in a separate pending case.
At sentencing, the court cited the seriousness of the offenses, particularly the weapons violations, which carry mandatory parole restrictions under New Jersey law.
Prosecutors said the case stems from a February 9, 2021 investigation, when detectives conducting a quality-of-life initiative in the area of Girard Avenue in Franklin Township encountered James, leading to the discovery of a firearm and narcotics.