Atlantic City Man Faces 12 Years in Prison on Drug, Gun Charges

• 12-year expected sentence: Bilal Freeman pleaded guilty to three drug and firearms charges
• Cocaine and cash: A search of Freeman's person uncovered more than five ounces of cocaine and approximately $1,100
• Children had access to drugs and a gun: A search of his Atlantic City townhouse uncovered a loaded handgun and fentanyl in areas accessible to four children

Mays Landing, N.J. — An Atlantic City man has pleaded guilty to drug and weapons charges after state police surveillance tracked him driving from Atlantic City to Trenton and back. Searches uncovered cocaine, fentanyl, a loaded handgun, and evidence that the gun and fentanyl were accessible to four children living in his townhouse.

32-year-old Bilal Freeman pleaded guilty Monday to first-degree possession of a handgun by a felon previously convicted under the No Early Release Act (NERA), first-degree possession of cocaine with intent to distribute, and second-degree certain persons not to possess firearms.

Under the terms of his plea agreement, Freeman is expected to receive an aggregate 12-year sentence in state prison, with five years of mandatory parole ineligibility.

Freeman remains incarcerated pending sentencing, which is scheduled for January 2027.

Bilal Freeman of Atlantic City, NJ - Photo: Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office / Canva

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Surveillance, a Drug Run, and a Search Warrant

The Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office said on the evening of September 30th into October 1st of last year, state police detectives surveilled Freeman driving from his Atlantic City townhouse to a residence in Trenton. There, a passenger exited the vehicle, entered the house, and returned a short time later.

Detectives followed Freeman's vehicle back to Atlantic City, where it was stopped at a rest stop on the Atlantic City Expressway.

A search of Freeman's person turned up more than five ounces of cocaine and approximately $1,100 in cash.

Later that same evening, detectives executed a court-approved search warrant at Freeman's townhouse. They found a loaded semiautomatic handgun, numerous folds of fentanyl bearing different stamps, and drug paraphernalia used to package and sell illegal street drugs.

Surveillance video showed Freeman accessing a bag containing the handgun and fentanyl shortly before traveling to Trenton.

Children in the Home

37-year-old Raleesha Cheatham of Atlantic City was inside the townhouse when detectives executed the search warrant. The loaded handgun and fentanyl were found in areas accessible to four children who lived in the home with Cheatham and Freeman.

Cheatham later pleaded guilty to endangering the welfare of a child. Under the terms of her plea agreement, she is expected to receive probation conditioned on serving approximately 180 days at the Atlantic County Justice Facility.

Two other Atlantic City men were also charged as part of the investigation. 47-year-old Leroy Clark and 29-year-old Makai Martin both pleaded guilty to conspiring to distribute controlled dangerous substances (CDS).

Raleesha Cheatham (left), Leroy Clark (center), and Makai Martin (right), all of Atlantic City, NJ - Photo: Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office / Canva

Martin was accepted into the Recovery Court Program. Clark's sentence was ordered to run concurrently with a prison term he is already serving for other drug crimes.

Chris Coleman is a South Jersey native and has been a cornerstone of the Atlantic City radio market since 1998. He serves as Brand Manager for WPG Talk Radio 95.5 and afternoon on-air personality for Cat Country 107.3. A five-time President's Circle award winner and Townsquare Media's 2024 Content Creator of the Year, Chris covers news, events, and stories of interest across Southern New Jersey. Story tips: chris.coleman@townsquaremedia.com