By: Olivia Tattory
NORTH HANOVER A Superior Court judge last week kept bail set at $250,000 for former North Hanover Republican Party Chairman Frank Preto, who was charged July 11 with multiple counts of illegal weapon and drug possession, said David Rhoads, Mr. Preto’s lawyer.
As of Wednesday, Mr. Rhoads Said, Mr. Preto had not posted bail and remained in the Mercer County Corrections Facility in Hopewell Township.
Mr. Preto, 55, of Ivy Lane, was charged after police said an investigation led to the discovery of at least 100 rifles, 50 handguns and a large amount of narcotics. He was charged with multiple counts of illegal possession of weapons and drugs that police said he kept in his home and illegally sold from two Mercer County businesses the Players Billiards Club, on Parkway Avenue, in Ewing and the Community Search and Abstraction business in Hamilton. He also was charged with conducting illegal gambling operations from the pool hall.
According to Casey DeBlasio, a spokeswoman for the Mercer County prosecutor’s office, Superior Court Judge Maria Sypek had signed the original search warrants and kept the bail at $250,000 because she "recognized the severity of the charges."
Mr. Rhoads said Mr. Preto is not a threat to the community.
"He has no prior record and is a first offender, 55-year-old man with alleged crimes," he said. "The judge, however, felt that because of the amount of weapons and seriousness of the charges that this bail was sufficient."
The North Hanover police began the narcotics investigation on June 15, which led to Ewing. Police said they found 10,000 rounds of ammunition, 1.4 pounds of marijuana and $900 in cash in his residence, according to police. Narcotics transaction notes, 18 grams of cocaine packaged for sale, $3,576 in cash and a loaded .45-caliber semiautomatic handgun were found on Mr. Preto, according to police.
The Mercer County Special Investigations Unit and Ewing police had first received information about suspected illegal activities happening at the billiards club about four and a half months ago, police said.
Mr. Preto was the chairman of the local Republican Party about 15 years ago and ran in the 2005 Republican primary for Township Committee in North Hanover.
His next court date had not yet been set as of Wednesday.

