Morris County Prosecutor's Office

By Cecilia Levine From Daily Voice

A Lake Hopatcong man was arrested after investigators seized a cache of guns, cash, and about a kilogram of suspected cocaine during a search of his Jefferson Township home, authorities said.

John B. Scavone, 32, was taken into custody after investigators executed a search warrant at his residence on Friday morning, Nov. 7, according to Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Jefferson Police Chief Paul Castimore.

Investigators found Scavone inside a bedroom fortified with a steel door, authorities said. When officers entered, he resisted arrest with physical force and tried to take control of an officer’s patrol rifle before being detained, Carroll said.

Inside the home, law enforcement found five firearms, including a stolen Glock G26 9mm and a Glock 10mm modified with a “switch” that allowed it to fire automatically, prosecutors said. They also seized a crossbow, high-capacity magazines, armor-piercing ammunition, and nearly $11,000 in cash, which investigators allege are narcotics proceeds.

Authorities also recovered about one kilogram of suspected cocaine and drug paraphernalia consistent with distribution, Carroll said.

Scavone is accused of operating a cocaine distribution network in Morris County between July 1 and Nov. 7, 2025, prosecutors said.

He faces multiple charges, including:

  • Possession of five ounces or more of cocaine with intent to distribute (first degree)
  • Conspiracy to distribute cocaine (second degree)
  • Possession of a firearm during a CDS offense (second degree)
  • Disarming a law enforcement officer (second degree)
  • Certain persons not to possess a firearm (second degree)
  • Unlawful possession of an assault firearm (second degree)
  • Additional weapons and narcotics offenses

Scavone was detained in the Morris County Correctional Facility pending future court proceedings.

Authorities said the investigation was carried out by the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Special Enforcement Unit Task Force, which includes members from Parsippany-Troy Hills, Morristown, Boonton, and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, with assistance from the New Jersey State Police, Denville Police, and Jefferson Police Department.

A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite this accusation, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law, prosecutors said.