A man from Pleasantville has been sentenced to 43 years in state prison for murdering a man in the fall of 2021.

Last month, 33-year-old Jermaine Wharton was convicted of first-degree murder, first-degree felony murder, first-degree carjacking, and several weapon-related charges.

According to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, on the morning of November 13th, 2021, officers with the Pleasantville Police Department were dispatched to a Shotspotter alert in the area of 914 North Main Street.

There, they located Ivan Smith lying on the ground from a gunshot wound. He was pronounced dead at the scene.

From an investigation,

detectives learned that the defendant unsuccessfully attempted to break into a witness's car and approached the victim and his car. Shortly thereafter there was a gunshot and the victim was found dead. The defendant was later identified as the man who approached the victim prior to the gunshot and who then stole the victim’s car transporting it to Millville.

At sentencing last week, the court determined that he be sentenced as a persistent offender to an extended term of imprisonment on the first-degree murder conviction. Additionally, Wharton must serve at least 85 percent of his term before becoming eligible for parole.

This case was a joint investigation with the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office and the Pleasantville Police Department, with assistance from the Egg Harbor Township and Millville Police Departments, and the Atlantic County Sheriff's Office.

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