A Mays Landing man will spend the next seven years behind bars after a series of criminal incidents that spanned from 2020 through 2024, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office.
Devon Banks, 27, was sentenced by New Jersey Superior Court Judge Donna M. Taylor to an aggregate term of seven years in New Jersey State prison with a five-year period of parole ineligibility. Banks previously pleaded guilty to second-degree certain persons not to possess weapons, third-degree eluding, and two counts of possession with the intent to distribute CDS.
High-Speed Chase Ends in Crash
The most recent incident occurred on May 24, 2024, when officers from the Pleasantville Police Department observed a tan Hyundai Elantra making an illegal turn and cutting off multiple vehicles. When police activated their lights and sirens, the driver refused to pull over and instead accelerated.
After briefly losing sight of the vehicle, officers discovered it had crashed at the intersection of North New Road and California Avenue. Occupants of the vehicle pointed police toward a male who fled on foot. Banks was soon captured and identified as the driver.
Search Warrant Uncovers Weapons and Drugs
Less than three weeks later, on June 12, 2024, New Jersey State Police Officers executed a search warrant at 300 Absecon Blvd Room 210, Absecon New Jersey. There, they found Banks in possession of a 9mm handgun, crack cocaine, and $5,350.00 in cash. Banks is prohibited from possessing firearms under New Jersey law.
Earlier Drug Distribution Investigation
The charges against Banks also stem from an investigation dating back to spring 2020, when the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office's Gangs, Guns, and Narcotics Unit confirmed that Banks was selling drugs. He was subsequently charged with possession with the intent to distribute CDS.
The prosecution was directed by members of the Gangs, Guns, and Narcotics Unit of the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office. This case represents our community's ongoing efforts to address gun violence and drug distribution, keeping Atlantic County neighborhoods safer for all residents.
