In November 2018, Governor Murphy named James Graziano to serve as the ABC Director. Graziano previously served as a municipal court judge in the Borough of Metuchen, the attorney for the Metuchen Parking Authority, and the founding partner of a law firm in Green Brook.
In April 2018, ABC established a task force to train municipal police officers as partners in enforcing New Jersey’s liquor laws. The task force provided local officers with hands-on experience spotting signs of organized crime in their local bars, investigating and shutting down problem servers, and enforcing other alcoholic beverage control laws that help protect the quality of life for New Jersey residents.
In September 2018, ABC served as hosts to the Northern/Southern Regional Conference of the National Conference of State Liquor Administrators (NCSLA), held in Atlantic City. During the event, ABC raised awareness about the dangers of human trafficking and opioid trafficking with liquor regulators and industry representatives.
In October 2018, ABC revoked the license of a Bellmawr liquor store used to facilitate an illegal prescription drug operation. The licensees used their business, known as Johnnie’s Liquor Store, as a stash house for an opioid distribution network that operated in the laundromat across the street.
