Essex County Man Convicted of Drug Distribution and Illegal Possession of Firearm and Ammunition

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County man was convicted of firearm and narcotics offenses following a three-day trial, Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello announced.

Mookadean Cheeseboro, 38, of Newark, was convicted by a federal jury on February 11, 2026, of unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession with the intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine following a trial before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo in Newark federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On December 20, 2021, while executing a search warrant, New Jersey State Police officers saw Cheeseboro engaged in drug trafficking. When State Police detectives searched Cheeseboro, they found 74 doses of cocaine and fentanyl packaged for sale and a key to a vehicle. When detectives opened the vehicle, they found a .380 caliber handgun and thirty rounds of ammunition. Cheeseboro admitted in a post-arrest statement that he possessed the drugs and had the firearm for his protection.

The felon in possession charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years of imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. The possession with intent to distribute controlled substances charge carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years of imprisonment and a $1,000,000 fine.

Cheeseboro was previously convicted in 2015 of unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. U.S. District Judge William J. Martini sentenced him to serve 70 months’ imprisonment for that offense.

Every criminal must be punished and every innocent must get justice.

Contact New Jersey criminal defence lawyer Joel Silberman to schedule a free legal consultation to fight for your right to justice. Call 201-420-1913 today.