An Essex County resident, Mookadean Cheeseboro, was found guilty of drug distribution and illegal possession of a firearm and ammunition after a three-day federal trial in Newark. The conviction was announced by Senior Counsel Philip Lamparello.
Cheeseboro, 38, from Newark, was convicted on February 11, 2026. The charges included unlawful possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon and possession with intent to distribute fentanyl and cocaine. The trial took place before U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo.
According to court documents and statements made during the proceedings, New Jersey State Police officers executed a search warrant on December 20, 2021. During the operation, officers observed Cheeseboro participating in drug trafficking activities. Upon searching him, detectives discovered 74 doses of cocaine and fentanyl packaged for sale as well as a key to a vehicle. Inside the vehicle, law enforcement found a .380 caliber handgun and thirty rounds of ammunition. After his arrest, Cheeseboro admitted he possessed both the drugs and the firearm for protection.
The charge for being a felon in possession of a firearm carries up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Possession with intent to distribute controlled substances carries up to 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.
Cheeseboro had previously been convicted in 2015 for unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon in the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey. He was sentenced by U.S. District Judge William J. Martini to serve seventy months in prison for that offense.
Senior Counsel Lamparello credited special agents from the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), led by Special Agent in Charge Towanda R. Thorne-James, along with members of the New Jersey State Police under Acting Superintendent Lt. Col. Jeanne Hengemuhle for their work on this case.
This prosecution is part of Operation Take Back America—a nationwide initiative involving resources from several Department of Justice programs including Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Forces (OCDETFs) and Project Safe Neighborhood (PSN). The operation aims to combat illegal immigration, dismantle cartels and transnational criminal organizations, and protect communities from violent crime.
Assistant U.S. Attorneys John M. Maloy from the Organized Crime/Gangs Unit and Kelly M. Lyons, Acting Chief of the Narcotics and International Trafficking Unit, represented the government in this matter.
Cheeseboro was represented by defense counsel F.R.“Chip” Dunne III.
