2 Handguns Discovered in Englewood New Jersey
According to the initial reports from the Englewood New Jersey Police Department, they were able to apprehend a man who they learned was in possession of a handgun late last night without incident. Apparently the Police were tipped off after two eyewitnesses reported that they just saw the defendant exit a nearby 7-11 holding a gun. As a result of the tip, the Englewood officers were able to surround the defendant and place him under arrest without incident.
According to the arresting officers, the defendant was in possession of not one but two loaded handguns along with extra ammo as well. The two weapons were a Glock 9mm semi-automatic handgun and a Taurus .38-caliber revolver. To make matters worse, both were loaded with hollow-nosed bullets, which is also illegal in New Jersey. As with any other gun that is taken off of the streets, the guns were sent to the The Bergen County Sheriff’s Ballistic Unit where they will try to determine if the weapons were involved in any other unsolved crimes.
The Defendant is currently being held in the Bergen County Jail. His bail has been set at $125,000 with no ten percent option. He has formally been charged with two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon (handgun) and one count of unlawfully possessing hallow point bullets. Unlawful possession of a weapon is a second degree felony in New Jersey. If convicted the defendant could be sentenced up to 10 years in a New Jersey State Prison. In addition, this offense falls under the Graves Act. The Graves Act was instituted to help prevent gang violence by making extremely harsh penalties for any one convicted under this act. Pursuant to the graves act, any one convicted of unlawful possession of a handgun must be sentenced to a term of imprisonment (minimum of 5 years) and a parole ineligibility term must be set at 1/2 or 3 years which ever is greater. With that being said, there is what is known as a Graves Act Waiver and if successfully argued, the stipulated prison time can be reduced or eliminated.
The Law Offices of Marshall, Bonus, Proetta & Oliverhas several offices throughout Bergen County New Jersey. We have representing individuals charged with a variety of criminal offense, like prescription drug possession, burglary, arson, kidnapping and armed robbery. If you or someone you know has been charged with a criminal offense in towns like Mahwah, Tenafly, Bergenfield or Fair Lawn, we can help. If you would like a free initial consultation, please contact any one of our Bergen County Offices directly at 1-800-682-4037.