Freehold Borough, N.J. — A 26-year-old man has been sentenced to five years in state prison following a violent incident in Jackson Township last year. Michael Vulpis received the sentence from Judge Kimarie Rahill on May 2, 2025, after pleading guilty to aggravated assault involving a deadly weapon.
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer noted that Vulpis’s sentence is subject to the No Early Release Act, which mandates he serve at least 85 percent of his term before becoming eligible for parole. In addition to the aggravated assault charge, Judge Rahill also imposed a concurrent five-year sentence for possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, which carries a 42-month parole ineligibility period.
The incident occurred at around 12:20 a.m. on June 27, 2024, when police responded to reports of a shooting on Larsen Road. Officers discovered a 27-year-old male victim suffering from a gunshot wound to the face. The victim was quickly transported to Jersey Shore University Medical Center for treatment and has since been released.
Authorities later determined that the victim had been seated in a parked vehicle with a female companion when a blue sedan blocked them in. Two men exited the sedan, approached the vehicle, and began to assault the victim. During this encounter, one of the assailants fired a shot, injuring the victim before both assailants fled the scene.
Following an extensive investigation involving the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office and local law enforcement agencies, Vulpis was identified as the shooter. He was arrested at his home on July 3, 2024, on multiple charges, including attempted murder. He had been held in the Ocean County Jail since his arrest.
The investigation also led to the identification of Noah Phelps, 24, of Monroe Township, as an accomplice in the attack. Phelps, accused of conspiring with Vulpis, faces charges of attempted murder and conspiracy to commit murder, along with a warrant that placed him in the National Crime Information Center database. He turned himself in to authorities on August 16, 2024, but was released due to New Jersey’s bail reform laws.
Further inquiries revealed that Glenn Franzson, 32, of Jackson Township, assisted Vulpis by trying to persuade the victim to alter his account of the incident. Authorities charged Franzson with witness tampering. A search of his residence on August 15 yielded methamphetamine and a ghost gun, along with additional charges related to drug possession.
The investigations into the actions of both Phelps and Franzson are ongoing, with their respective charges still pending. The Ocean County legal proceedings emphasize the seriousness of gun violence and its repercussions in the community.