Courts (Credit: Ekatarina Bolovtsova/Pexels)
A plethora of felonies related to corruption of minors and drug offenses have been withdrawn by the Bucks County District Attorney against a former manager of two Central Bucks restaurants accused of illegal behavior with underage employees.
According to court records, 74 charges, including 17 felonies, were lodged against Richard Mark Brooks Jr., 33, of Freehold, NJ by Plumsted Township Police in December 2025. Brooks also lists an address in Seaside Heights, NJ on court dockets.
Now, following a preliminary hearing last month, only seven charges remain, including one felony charge of drug possession with intent to deliver, per court records. Additional charges moved to Bucks County Common Pleas Court include misdemeanor corruption of minors, two misdemeanor counts of indecent assault without consent, misdemeanor drug possession, misdemeanor furnishing alcohol to a minor, and misdemeanor marijuana possession for personal use, per court documents.
Withdrawn charges include 15 felony drug possession charges, felony corruption of minors, 20 misdemeanor charges of corruption of minors, 18 misdemeanor charges of furnishing alcohol to minors, and 11 misdemeanor charges of marijuana possession, according to court records.
PhillyBurbs reported in exchange to the dropped charges, Brooks waived his right to a preliminary hearing on the remaining charges.
Brooks Jr. is free on unsecured bail, reduced from 10% of $100,000 cash, to 10% of $75,000 cash, to 10% of $50,000 cash, to nonmonetary, per court records.
According to an affidavit, a Childline report was sent to Plumstead Townsihip Police, which accused Brooks of “grooming” an underage boy employee at Saladworks on the 4300 block of Swamp Road.
Per the complaint, nearly a dozen current and former employees who worked with Brooks between 2020 and 2024 alleged he plied minors with illegal substances at his Doylestown home and at work.
At various incidents, Brooks allegedly gave male and female co-workers alcohol, medical marijuana and Adderall, police said. He admitted having a drug and alcohol problem, per the complaint.
Investigators alleged Brooks has been coy as to the allegations from his employees and co-workers.
Formal arraignment is scheduled for March 27, with a pre-trial conference/guilty plea hearing set for May 14. Brooks is represented by a public defender.
All suspects and defendants are innocent until proven guilty. This story was compiled using public court records.
