11/22/2025
TWO OCEAN COUNTY MEN SENTENCED TO STATE PRISON FOR
AGGRAVATED ARSON
Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on November 21, 2025, the Honorable Dina M. Vicari, J.S.C., sentenced Ethan Salter, 20, of Little Egg Harbor Township, to three years New Jersey State Prison (NJSP) relative to his previously entered guilty plea to Aggravated Arson, in connection with an incident that occurred in Little Egg Harbor Township on January 8, 2024. Likewise, Judge Vicari sentenced Salter to three years NJSP relative to his previously entered guilty plea to Creating a False Public Alarm in connection with an incident that occurred in Little Egg Harbor Township on December 2, 2023. The sentences will run concurrently. Salter pled guilty to both charges before Judge Vicari on April 28, 2025.
Additionally, on November 21, 2025, Judge Vicari sentenced Thomas Lester, 21, of Tuckerton, to three years New Jersey State Prison (NJSP) relative to his previously entered guilty plea to Aggravated Arson in connection with the incident referenced above that occurred in Little Egg Harbor Township on January 8, 2024. Judge Vicari also sentenced Lester to 12 months NJSP relative to his previously entered guilty plea to Criminal Mischief in connection with the same incident. The sentences will run concurrently. Lester pled guilty to both charges before Judge Vicari on September 29, 2025.
On December 2, 2023, at approximately 5:45 p.m., Officers from the Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department were dispatched to the Walmart store for a report of a bomb threat. For safety reasons, the store was evacuated. A search of the premises by the New Jersey State Police Bomb Squad and Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit determined that the threat was not credible. An investigation by Little Egg Harbor Township Police revealed that the threat had been broadcast over the in-store handheld radios utilized by store employees. Further investigation revealed that Salter - a former employee of the store - had stolen a radio and utilized it to make the threat. On December 5, 2023, Salter was taken into custody at his residence without incident. He was transported to the Ocean County Jail and subsequently released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform.
On January 8, 2024, at approximately 3:19 a.m., the Little Egg Harbor Township Police and Fire Departments were dispatched to a report of a structure fire on National Union Boulevard. Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire. A thorough and extensive investigation conducted by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, Ocean County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s Office, Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, and Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department Detective Bureau, revealed that the fire originated in the living room of the structure; the cause of the fire was determined to be incendiary by an unknown person or persons utilizing an open flame to ignitable liquid. Continuing investigation led to the identification of Lester and Salter as the individuals responsible for setting the fire. On March 7, 2024, Lester and Salter were taken into custody without incident at their respective residences by Detectives from the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad and Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department Detective Bureau and transported to the Ocean County Jail. Lester was released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail Reform. Salter was originally released as a consequence of New Jersey Bail reform but is presently lodged in the Ocean County Jail for violating the terms of his release.
Prosecutor Billhimer acknowledges the diligent efforts of Supervising Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Heisler and Assistant Prosecutor Julie Peterson who handled the case on behalf of the State, and commends the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office Major Crime Unit-Arson Squad, Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office High Tech Crime Squad, Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department, Little Egg Harbor Township Police Department Detective Bureau, Ocean County Sheriff's Office Crime Scene Investigation Unit, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office K-9 Unit, New Jersey State Police Bomb Squad, New Jersey State Fire Marshal’s Office, and Ocean County Fire Marshal’s Office, for their combined and cooperative efforts in connection with these investigations.
