Flemington Councilman Sold Cocaine, Meth To Undercover Cop: Prosecutor

FLEMINGTON, NJ - An elected councilman of a North Jersey town was arrested Friday on drug distribution and related charges after selling to an undercover police officer, authorities said.

Flemington Borough Town Council member Malik D. Johnston, also known as Pippin J. Folk, 46, of Flemington, was charged with second degree distribution of cocaine, second-degree distribution of methamphetamine, second degree possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and second-degree possession of methamphetamine with intent to distribute, Hunterdon County Prosecutor Renée M. Robeson said Friday.

The charges stemmed from a joint investigation by the Hunterdon County Prosecutor’s Office’s Narcotics Task Force and the Flemington Borough Police Department, Robeson said.

From December 2022 to February 2023, Mr. Johnston sold cocaine and methamphetamine to an undercover police officer in Raritan Township, Robeson said, adding that further investigation found that Johnston in possession of more cocaine and methamphetamine with intent to distribute while in Flemington.

“The joint investigation demonstrates the expertise and professionalism of Hunterdon County’s law enforcement community,” Robeson said in a statement. “Illegal drug manufacture and distribution continue to pose a significant threat to public health and safety, which will be detected and prosecuted according to law.”

Each second-degree charge could result in prison terms between five and ten years and fines up to $150,000, Robeson said.

As of Friday, Johnston was lodged at the Warren County Correctional Center awaiting his first appearance in court.

Johnson was elected to the Flemington Borough Town Council in 2020 and works for Piscataway-based Kinkisharyo International as an electrician, per his LinkedIn profile. He graduated from Hunterdon Polytech in 2016 and Mercer County Community College with a degree in Business Administration and Management in 2011.