By: Richard L. Smith
A Somerset man has been sentenced to 25 years in federal prison after authorities discovered a cache of drugs, firearms, and ammunition during a 2021 incident on Route 1 near Quaker Bridge Mall.
Federal officials announced that Malachi A. Muhammad, 51, of Somerset, was sentenced on June 9, 2026, by U.S. District Judge Georgette Castner in Trenton.
Muhammad previously was convicted on April 11, 2025, of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, fentanyl and heroin, and cocaine, possession of firearms in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime, and unlawful possession of firearms by a convicted felon following a one-week federal trial.
According to evidence presented in court, officers from the Lawrence Township Police Department responded on August 19, 2021, to reports of a vehicle stopped in the middle of Route 1 near Quaker Bridge Mall. Concerned callers reported that the driver appeared unresponsive.
When officers arrived, they found Muhammad alone inside the vehicle.
After waking him, officers observed the handle of a handgun positioned between his legs. Police secured the loaded firearm, removed Muhammad from the vehicle, and placed him under arrest.
A subsequent search of the vehicle uncovered 91 methamphetamine pills, 468 wax folds containing fentanyl and heroin, five bags of cocaine, and five additional firearms. 
Authorities said the weapons included two semi-automatic rifles. Investigators also recovered more than 150 rounds of ammunition.
Judge Castner sentenced Muhammad to 300 months in federal prison. In addition to the prison term, he will serve three years of supervised release following his incarceration.