Officials reiterate that charges are accusations and Otis remains presumed innocent until proven guilty in court.

The investigation led to a broader hold on parades in Keansburg for the remainder of the year.

A suspicious device was reported near Beachway and Bayview Avenues in Keansburg on the morning of March 28, prompting a police response near a parade staging area.

The investigation has involved Keansburg police, the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, and the FBI as it unfolds.

Otis, who claimed to work as a fire safety and environmental compliance officer at Brookdale Community College, is in the Monmouth County jail awaiting court proceedings.

As in all cases, every defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court.

Monmouth County Prosecutor Raymond Santiago announced the case on April 14, 2026.

Otis began working at Brookdale in 2016 and earned a salary of $93,398, according to GovSalaries.com.

The incident disrupted the planned regional parade, replacing festivities with security concerns and an active investigation.

The exact nature of the device remained unclear; Otis’s attorney described it as non-remote and similar in power to an M-80 or cherry bomb, and a search of his home, car, and office found no other suspicious items.