In September, a grand jury indicted five New Jersey men for charges related to the alleged unlawful possession and sale of various firearms. The attorney general’s office reported that the accused men apparently sold a total of 18 firearms in areas like Irvington and Newark from October 2012 to January of the next year. Authorities say that the firearms sold included assault rifles, regular rifles, handguns and shotguns.
Five of the 11 accused men were from New Jersey, while the rest were from Ohio. They face various gun charges as well as second-degree conspiracy and unlawful firearm distribution accusations. Some also stand accused of possessing firearms as convicted felons or unlawfully possessing assault firearms. In addition, one man has pending drug charges from an earlier arrest related to the possession of a notable quantity of heroin.
Analysts say that the second-degree weapon charges could result in jail sentences of five to ten years per charge. New Jersey’s mandatory minimum sentencing laws also means that the four men who allegedly had guns while they were felons will be incarcerated for at least five years. Reports did not specify what evidence the attorney general’s office was using to prosecute the men on the weapons charges.
Criminal charges can make life extremely difficult for the accused. In some instances, these individuals face multiple charges for the same crime, and this can make the sentences they receive even more severe or predispose juries against them. Even if these individuals aren’t convicted, their futures may be thrown off track permanently by their loss of employment or automatic ineligibility for specific career positions. Criminal defense attorneys may help these individuals get their lives back together by fighting charges or filing appeals.