HAMILTON
– Attorney General Jeffrey S. Chiesa
today announced a new initiative in which
the New Jersey State Police and the Division
of Criminal Justice are aggressively targeting
gun violence in New Jersey through strategic
investigations focused on seizing existing
weapons in violent areas, disrupting the supply-chain
of weapons trafficking into those areas, and
aggressively prosecuting criminals involved
in the illegal sale and possession of weapons.
Attorney General Chiesa announced the initiative
at the State Police Ballistics Laboratory
in Hamilton with Criminal Justice Director
Stephen J. Taylor and Superintendent Rick
Fuentes of the New Jersey State Police.
“We’re
taking direct aim at those responsible for
the proliferation of guns and gun violence
in our urban communities throughout New
Jersey, including gang members and convicted
felons,” said Attorney General Chiesa.
“By making weapons the focus of our
investigations and prosecuting offenders
under New Jersey’s tough gun laws,
we’re taking numerous weapons and
violent criminals off the street. Each gun
we seize potentially represents a life saved.
In addition, by testing the guns and entering
them into the national ballistics database,
we will solve additional crimes.”
In
the past three weeks, the Division of Criminal
Justice has obtained 21 state grand jury
indictments charging 29 defendants with
the unlawful possession or sale of 52 guns.
The indictments stem in all but one instance
from cases involving the State Police. The
indictments charge the defendants with offenses
ranging from unlawful possession of handguns
and assault weapons to leading a weapons
trafficking network, and also include charges
of unlawful transportation of weapons into
the state, unlawful possession of defaced
weapons, unlawful possession of weapons
during commission of narcotics offenses,
unlawful possession of body armor piercing
bullets, and unlawful possession of weapons
by convicted felons. Most of the defendants
are subject to the strict penalties applicable
to Graves Act gun convictions, requiring
mandatory periods of parole ineligibility
of up to five years.
The
indictments represent the first wave of
prosecutions under Attorney General Chiesa’s
initiative. In order to stem the tide of
gun violence and assist local police who
are facing force reductions, the New Jersey
State Police, working in coordination with
the Division of Criminal Justice, has been
focusing its investigatory efforts on guns,
using narcotics investigations as a point
of entry to identify and arrest those who
sell and possess firearms in areas identified
as violent crime hot spots.
The
New Jersey State Police Intelligence Section
has more than doubled the number of detectives
assigned specifically to weapons trafficking,
expanding an existing unit within a bureau
into a full bureau. Since January, the new
Weapons Trafficking Bureau, which includes
North and South Units, has teamed with the
Street Gang North and South Units to seize
101 guns and arrest 42 people for gun offenses.
In that time, the Intelligence Section has
seized as many guns as it seized in all
of 2010 (101), and nearly as many as in
2011 (110). Nearly half of the gun offenders
are convicted felons and more than a dozen
are known gang members. Detectives seized
22 “community guns,” hidden
where various criminals could access them,
and many guns that were stolen or had defaced
serial numbers. Total arrests by the four
units since January, including related drug
arrests, exceed 375. Additional guns were
seized by Field Operations troopers that
are not included in the 101 total for the
initiative.
Several
guns that were seized have been linked to
crimes, including a homicide and other shootings,
but that information is confidential due
to active investigations. The Division of
Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime
Bureau will prosecute the defendants under
the initiative. About half of the indictments
obtained by the Division of Criminal Justice
during the past three weeks relate to defendants
arrested by the State Police since January.
The others relate to investigations from
2011. In addition to the 29 defendants indicted
on gun charges, three were indicted solely
on drug charges.
“By
focusing on guns, we get at the root of
gun violence and we also build strong cases
that will enable us to send dangerous offenders
away for long prison sentences,” said
Director Taylor of the Division of Criminal
Justice. “Most of the defendants we
indicted for gun offenses will face mandatory
periods of parole ineligibility, specifically
five years if there is a prior felony conviction
or substantial evidence of involvement in
organized criminal activity, such as drug
dealing.”
“Taking
these guns off the streets of our cities
– especially shared community guns
that so many people can access – is
saving lives and making New Jersey safer,”
said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent
of the State Police. “We are very
proud of the impact that this group of dedicated
detectives has had on crime.”
In
a single week between April 23 and 29, the
four participating State Police units arrested
34 individuals and seized 18 guns, 1.8 pounds
of heroin, 2.9 pounds of cocaine, 5.2 ounces
of crack, 20 pounds of marijuana, 3 ounces
of PCP and 221 illegal prescription narcotic
pills. Those seizures reflect the consistent
link found between drug dealing and illicit
weapons. While the efforts are focused in
the greater Newark, Paterson, Jersey City,
Trenton, Camden and Atlantic City areas,
arrests and seizures of weapons have been
made in communities throughout New Jersey.
Local, county and federal law enforcement
agencies have provided assistance with some
investigations, and the State Police and
Division of Criminal Justice are sharing
intelligence with those other agencies.
The
indictments and arrests include the following
cases, which illustrate the range of investigations:
-
On April 26, the State Police seized seven
guns, including four assault weapons,
and arrested Eugene Sparrow Jr., 27, of
Newark, a reputed Bloods member who recently
completed a sentence for armed robbery.
Detectives executed a search warrant at
his clothing store on South Orange Avenue,
seizing a General Motors M1 Carbine .30
caliber assault rifle, two Norinco SKS
7.62 X 39mm assault rifles, a Masterpiece
Arms .45 caliber sub-machine gun with
silencer, and three handguns. They also
seized numerous rounds of ammunition,
including hollow point bullets, $18,534
in cash, and heroin, cocaine and marijuana
with a street value of over $80,000.
- A
former member of the U.S. Armed Forces
from Monmouth County, Tamano Macalbe,
43, of Hazlet, was indicted on charges
related to his alleged illegal possession
and sale to an undercover State Police
detective in late 2011 of six guns: a
Remington Model 700 sniper rifle, a Rock
River Arms LAR-15 semi-automatic rifle
with an illegal large-capacity magazine,
a Norinco SKS 7.62 X 39mm assault rifle,
a semi-automatic Ruger Model 10/22 Carbine
sniper rifle, a JC Higgins Model 88 .22-caliber
rifle with an illegal large-capacity magazine,
and a .38 caliber revolver.
- On
Jan. 6, the State Police arrested two
men from Union County who allegedly were
trafficking assault weapons and other
guns. The Division of Criminal Justice
has indicted Andre Doss, 29, of Linden,
and Duquan Wells, 29, of Linden, in connection
with sales of a .22-caliber revolver and
three assault weapons: a Cobray MAC-11
with a large-capacity magazine, an ITM
Arms Co. semi-automatic rifle, and a Tula
Arsenal fully automatic rifle with large-capacity
magazine.
- A
Camden man with a prior manslaughter conviction,
Shawn D. Boles, 39, was indicted on charges
including possession of three handguns
as a convicted felon and possession of
cocaine with intent to distribute. Boles
allegedly sold crack cocaine and a handgun
prior to his arrest. A search of his residence
allegedly yielded two more handguns as
well as crack cocaine and heroin.
- Four
Trenton men, Francisco Gonzalez, 35, Reuben
Rios, 21, Edward Ramos, 21, and Juan Rivera,
22, an alleged member of the Ñetas
street gang, have been indicted on charges,
including second-degree conspiracy, in
connection with illegal sales of a rifle
and four handguns, including handguns
that were stolen and had defaced serial
numbers. The State Police arrested them
for allegedly trafficking firearms and
ammunition, including body armor penetrating
rounds, throughout Trenton.
- George
L. Bresnihan III, 48, of Roselle, was
indicted on charges, including a first-degree
charge of leading a firearms trafficking
network, as a result of Operation Southern
Draw, a State Police-led investigation
that took down a criminal ring that was
illegally transporting guns from North
Carolina for sale in New Jersey and selling
counterfeit birth certificates and Social
Security cards. Seven handguns were seized
through controlled purchases. Three others
were indicted: Nixon Provillon, 41, of
Irvington, Hady Vanessa Purboo, 43, of
Irvington, and Jeffrey Vandunk, 41, of
Sanford, N.C.
- A
reputed Crips gang member from Willingboro,
Maurice Belle, was indicted on charges
that he unlawfully sold a Romarm 7.62
X 39mm semi-automatic rifle with a defaced
serial number and an illegal large-capacity
magazine to an undercover officer in November
2011. State Police detectives arranged
the sale after learning Belle was trafficking
guns in Burlington County.
- Anthony
D. Griffith, 42, of Newark, was indicted
on charges of distribution of heroin and
possession of a Romarm SA/CUGIR 7.62 X
39mm semi-automatic assault rifle and
illegal hollow-point rounds. He was allegedly
selling heroin from a vacant second-floor
apartment in a high-intensity drug trafficking
area in the 100 block of Alexander Avenue
in Newark. The State Police arrested him
on Feb. 16, 2012, and recovered the assault
weapon from the apartment.
- On
Feb. 29, the State Police arrested three
convicted felons who allegedly were trafficking
guns from Newark to Monmouth County. Dana
Jackson, 40, of Aberdeen, allegedly acquired
guns from Damien Coleman, 32, of Newark,
and sold them with Curtis Mitchell, 39,
of Cliffwood. Jackson was indicted for
alleged possession of heroin and three
sales of handguns, and Mitchell was indicted
for one gun sale. Coleman was indicted
separately for possession of heroin and
two handguns. All are charged with possessing
handguns as convicted felons.
A
list of the indictments is attached, and
copies of 20 of the 21 indictments are posted
with this release at www.njpublicsafety.com.
One indictment was sealed. A list of those
arrested by the State Police Intelligence
Section on gun charges since January is
also attached. The charges are merely accusations
and the defendants are presumed innocent
until proven guilty. Many of the guns seized
are community guns or are the subject of
active investigations and are not listed
in the arrest list.
Seized
guns are tested and entered into the National
Integrated Ballistics Information Network.
NIBIN testing uses a laser to analyze each
striation on bullets and shell casings.
These patterns, like fingerprints, are stored
in the database and compared to bullets
and casings from other cases. New Jersey
has five ballistics labs run by the State
Police and the Essex, Bergen, Passaic and
Somerset County Sheriff’s Offices.
The labs also test guns for operability
and do serial number restorations.
INDICTMENTS:
*
- Sealed
Indictment – One Defendant
- Gershon
Thompson, Newark, DOB: 1/22/1985
- Alessi
Gonzalez, Vineland, DOB: 10/5/1986
- Victor
M. Jimenez Jr., Landisville,
DOB: 9/29/1982
- Reginald
V. Brown, Lawnside, DOB: 2/7/1976
-
Curtis Vauters, Newark,
DOB: 5/18/1983
- Shawn
D. Boles, Camden, DOB: 11/12/1972
- Tamano
Macalbe,
Hazlet, DOB: 4/23/1969
-
Joseph David Burton,
Ewing, DOB: 2/26/1985
- Francisco
Gonzalez, Trenton, DOB: 4/27/1977
Reuben Rios, Trenton,
DOB: 1/9/1991
Juan Rivera, Trenton,
DOB: 6/12/1989
Edward Ramos, Trenton,
DOB: 1/23/1991
- Dana
Jackson,
Aberdeen, DOB: 8/21/1971
Curtis Mitchell, Cliffwood,
DOB: 12/27/1972
- Anthony
D. Griffith,
Newark, DOB: 3/12/1970
Ali K. Simmons, Newark,
DOB: 3/30/1968
Andrew E. Sanders, Newark,
DOB: 6/4/1965
-
Taris J. Hall, Trenton,
DOB: 2/9/1990
- Christopher
Hanley,
Concord, N.H., DOB: 5/21/1984
- Dwayne
Johnson,
Newark, DOB: 10/14/1971
- Damien
Coleman,
Newark, DOB: 8/2/1979
- Travis
F. Swepson,
Newark, DOB: 1/28/1991
Eric D. McCoy, Newark,
DOB: 12/2/1982
-
Maurice Williams,
Jersey City, DOB: 12/26/1986
- Maurice
Belle,
Willingboro 7/2/1986
- George
L. Bresnihan III,
Roselle, DOB: 3/5/1964
Nixon Provillon, Irvington,
DOB: 4/4/1971
Hady Vanessa Purboo,
Irvington, DOB: 10/5/1968
Jeffrey Vandunk, Sanford,
N.C., DOB: 9/20/1970
- Andre
Doss,
Linden, DOB: 5/3/1981
Duquan Wells, Linden,
DOB: 11/12/1981
*
Note: Certain of these defendants
also appear on the State
Police arrest list.
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