Hazlet Man Charged With Heroin, Xanax in Keansburg

A 28-year old Hazlet resident faces multiple charges for possession of heroin and Xanax in Keansburg, with intent to distribute.

David T. Kniepp, 28, was stopped by Keansburg Police's Patrolman George Neckles for a malfunctioning tail light around 9:17 p.m. on Tuesday. Police said they discovered he was driving with a suspended license. 

A search revealed Kniepp was in in possession of 104 "decks" of heroin, which are individually packaged glassine envelopes containing a dosage. He also had four individually wrapped Xanax pills in a rectangular shape, called "bars." 

Deputy Chief Michael Pigott explained that heroin decks carry a street value between $8-$15 each. Users purchase them in quantities, depending on their addiction. 

Because he was stopped in a vicinity near Keansburg High School, the Henry Hudson Trail and the public McGrath Towers residences, Kniepp faces charges related to possession and dealing near public zones. 

Deputy Chief Pigott said the official charges are: possession of a controlled dangerous substance (CDS) within 1,000 feet of a school zone (Keansburg High School), within 500 feet of public housing (McGrath Towers) and within 500 feet of a public park (the Henry Hudson Trail); possession of a CDS with the intent to distribute; and two counts of possession of CDS, namely heroin and Xanax; as well as multiple motor vehicle offenses. 

Kniepp has been released from the Monmouth County Correctional Facility, where he was held on $25,000 bail, no ten percent option. 

An arrest is not a conviction, and every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.