Atlantic City Man Sentenced to 13 Years for Selling Crack Cocaine at Convenience Store with Minor

ATLANTIC CITY, N.J. — Quadir Cooper, 20, was sentenced Tuesday to 13 years in prison for selling crack cocaine alongside a minor inside a city convenience store, according to the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office. Cooper was found guilty in April of distributing a controlled dangerous substance, unlawful possession of a handgun during drug crimes, possession of a defaced handgun, and employing a juvenile to aid in drug distribution. He must serve at least 85% of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole. On December 22, 2022, officers patrolling the 1500 block of Atlantic Avenue noticed several men gathered inside a convenience store around 8:30 p.m. Observing suspicious activity, police checked on the clerk and saw Cooper and a 15-year-old selling crack cocaine. Cooper attempted to evade arrest by fleeing to the rear of the store, where he hid a 9mm Taurus handgun with scratched-off serial numbers on a shelf. Police recovered the weapon along with 6.5 grams of crack cocaine on Cooper’s person. The State Police ballistics lab confirmed the gun was operational despite the defaced serial numbers.