Juvenile Arrested on Weapons Possession Charges in Newark
A 17-year-old boy has been charged with possession of a weapon as well as resisting arrest after undercover officers chased him down. According to a news report in The Star-Ledger, the weapon possession arrest occurred off of Schley Street in the South Ward area of Newark. Undercover detectives patrolling the area allegedly saw the teenager involved in a drug transaction. According to the report, during the chase, he threw something into an open garage. Police arrested him and found a loaded .38-caliber weapon in the garage. He was taken to a youth detention facility. He faces additional weapon possession charges because the gun had hollow-point ammunition and the weapon was defaced.
New Jersey Statute 2C:39-5 states: “Any person who knowingly has in his possession any handgun, including any antique handgun, without first having obtained a permit to carry the same as provided in N.J.S.A. 2C:58-4, is guilty of a crime of the third degree.” Possessing a gun without a valid permit is a serious offense. Defacing the weapon so that it is not easily traceable is also a crime that has serious consequences because the act of defacing a weapon implies that it was obtained for illegal purposes.
Teenagers facing multiple offenses in New Jersey run the risk of being charged as an adult. It is crucial that the family of juveniles facing serious penalties immediately seek legal guidance. An experienced attorney will fight to help the defendant get that valuable second chance.
The skilled Princeton juvenile crime defense attorneys at Lependorf & Silverstein work diligently to keep our young clients out of jail and get them the help they need. If your son or daughter is facing a criminal charge in New Jersey, please contact our law offices at 609-240-0040 to schedule a free consultation to learn more about the legal options available to your family.
