Bridgewater Police Charge Two Manville Residents with Gun Offenses
According to Somerset County Prosecutor Michael Robertson, the Bridgewater Police Department had to shutdown and evacuate portions of a local hotel after they received a 911 call about one of its occupants being in possession of a handgun.
Based on the reports thus far, on November 9th the Bridgewater police department received a 911 calling from an individual stating that acquaintances of his had just pointed a semi-automatic handgun at him and threatened his life. When the police arrived on scene they decided to set up a perimeter and evacuate several of the guests who were staying in nearby rooms as they attempted to make phone contact with the alleged Defendants. Fortunately the officers were able to make contact with one of the Defendants and convinced them to surrender. Once the Defendants were in custody, a search of the hotel room was conducted. Uncovered during the search was 9mm semi-automatic handgun and a 32 caliber revolver. The main Defendant, a thirty-seven (37) year old male from Manville was arrested and charged with various felony offenses, including two counts of unlawful possession of a weapon in the second degree, possession of a weapon for unlawful purpose in the second degree, certain persons not to possess a weapon in the second degree and aggravated assault in the fourth degree. The other Defendant, also from Manville, was charged with all the same counts except the fourth degree aggravated assault offense. The Defendants were both taken to the Somerset County Jail where they were detained pending a detention hearing. During that hearing the prosecution will be seeking to convince the Judge that the Defendant must be detained without bail, pending trial.
Unlawful Possession of a Weapon Offenses in New Jersey
When a Defendant is caught unlawfully possessing a handgun in New Jersey not only are they facing a mandatory jail sentence but they are also facing a mandatory parole ineligibility period as well pursuant to the Graves Act. Unless a Graves Act Waiver is granted, the minimum sentence that may be imposed for anyone convicted of this offense is five years in a state prison with a forty-two month parole ineligibility period. If a waiver is granted, the Defendant could see the jail time as well as the parole ineligibility period reduced and in some cases eliminated. For more information on this offense, please contact our Bridgewater Office 908-533-1064 or checkout our New Jersey gun charges practice area by clicking the link.
Charged with a Gun Offense in Bridgewater NJ?
Facing serious criminal charges like unlawful possession of a weapon can be terrifying for most. Not knowing where to turn or who to trust to represent you can only add to the fear. That is why we strongly recommend that you speak to an attorney that not only has extensive experience in criminal law but who also has experience dealing with this type of crime. Mr. Oliver, one of the founding partners of Keith Oliver Criminal Law has secured numerous Graves Act waivers for clients. In some instances, he has been able to get them into the Pretrial Intervention Program which not only allows them to avoid incarceration but a felony criminal record as well. If you would like to speak to Mr. Oliver about your options then please contact our office at 908.533.1064. We serve all of Somerset and Hunterdon County, including towns like Somerville, Flemington, Clinton, Readington, Watchung, Franklin, Union, Plainfield, Hillsborough and Watchung.
For more information on this incident, please checkout nj.com’s article labeled Part of hotel evacuated after man threatened with a handgun.
