A Monmouth County man has pleaded guilty to first-degree aggravated manslaughter for his role in the fatal April 2016 shooting at a Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) post following a funeral repast, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni announced on Wednesday. 

Calvin Johnson, 42, of Neptune Township, entered the guilty plea on Tuesday.

The charge stems from an April 18, 2016 shooting that occurred in the parking lot of the VFW located at 1515 Corlies Avenue in Neptune Township.  

As part of the plea agreement, the state will recommend a sentence of 20 years in a New Jersey state prison, subject to the provisions of the No Early Release Act (NERA) which requires him to serve 85 percent of the sentence imposed before becoming eligible for release on parole. Johnson would also be subject to parole supervision for five years upon completion of his prison term. The plea agreement was made after consultation with the victim’s family.

The case background …

At about 8 p.m. on April 18, 2016, Neptune Township Police Department officers were on patrol when they heard the sound of gunshots coming from the area of the VFW. Upon arrival, the officers noted a large crowd and found the victim, Corey Basden, 33, of Neptune City, lying in the rear parking lot with multiple gunshot wounds. MONOC paramedics responded to the scene, and Basden was pronounced dead at 8:15 p.m.  

An 18-month-long joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office and the Neptune Township Police Department identified Johnson, a/k/a “Little C,” as Basden’s killer. 

Johnson is scheduled to appear in Superior Court for sentencing before Judge Richard W. English on June 21, 2019. 

— Edited press release from the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office