New Jersey Firearms and Weapons Trafficking Attorney
Highly Proficient Weapons Trafficking Defense Lawyer in Mount Laurel, NJ Competently Defends Against Charges You Face in Burlington County, Camden County, Gloucester County, and Throughout South Jersey
Were you or someone you know charged with firearms and weapons trafficking crimes? Based on New Jersey law, these are some of the most serious crimes that anyone can commit. The term “trafficking,” when used with firearms and weapons, covers the illegal and/or unlawful sale and/or distribution of firearms and related weapons. These are felony charges that can lead to 20 years behind bars, not to mention the potential of being charged with additional related crimes and hefty fines. There are many legal strategies we can use to protect you from the harsh penalties of firearms and weapons trafficking charges, so contact the defensive specialist New Jersey firearms and weapons trafficking attorney at the Law Office of John B. Brennan today.
Purchasing Firearms in New Jersey
If you want to legally purchase a firearm in New Jersey, you must first obtain a purchase permit by applying for a Firearms Purchaser Identification Card at your local or state police station. This involves completing an application and being fingerprinted. You must also pass a background check and permit the relevant authorities to search your mental health and medical records. You then pay a fee and provide a few additional personal details.
When you want to purchase a firearm from a licensed gun seller, you simply present your permit. The seller will conduct a background check to satisfy federal laws by running your information through the FBI’s National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS). If you have a criminal background or are identified as someone who is not allowed to purchase a firearm, you will be unable to obtain one using legal channels. What many people in such situations do is acquire firearms via illegal means. This is a crime, and law enforcement officials in New Jersey will aggressively pursue anyone who is believed to be involved in illegal trafficking, selling, or conspiring to unlawfully transport and/or sell firearms and weapons.
According to NJ Rev Stat § 2C:39-16 (2016) – the New Jersey Code of Criminal Justice on various firearms crimes – states that leaders of firearms trafficking operations can be charged with a first-degree crime that comes with up to 20 years of prison time. This includes anyone found guilty of organizing, financing, or supervising operations that sell, transport, or manufacture illegal weapons. Convicted parties can also face fines of up to $200,000, as well as an additional $500,000 in fines or five times the value of the firearms in question, whichever is greater.
It is important to note that you do not have to formally sell many weapons to be guilty of leading a weapons trafficking crime ring. For example, if you and an associate purchase just a few firearms to sell to people who cannot legally purchase such firearms, you can be charged with these crimes.
These are serious charges, and it is entirely possible that you or someone you know became unknowingly implicated or involved in firearm trafficking operations or were even coerced or tricked into performing illegal acts that involved trafficked firearms. Our New Jersey firearms and weapons trafficking attorney is here to help, so call our resourceful weapons trafficking defense lawyer in Mount Laurel, NJ today for a free case review and to learn more about the legal strategies we can potentially adopt to dismiss or lower the charges you face.
New Jersey Firearms and Weapons Trafficking Attorney Defends Against Additional Charges Included in Your Indictment
Selling, purchasing, trafficking, and manufacturing illegal weapons are all illegal. You can be charged with various firearms crimes if you are caught and convicted of committing any such acts. You can face charges of conspiracy to launch a business selling illegal firearms, illegal possession of weapons, possession of weapons for unlawful purposes, and possession of prohibited weapons and/or devices. If you are a felon, you can also be charged with the crime of possessing a weapon as a felon. If the prosecution can show that you had some type of authority or control over others working in the illegal firearms business, you can be charged as the leader of a gun trafficking crime ring. Dealing with guns without a license or valid registration, buying a firearm for someone else (even if they are legally allowed to purchase a firearm) without revealing the ultimate purchaser’s information, and other federal violations that govern firearm-related activities can be included in your charge sheet. All told, you can face decades behind bars and hundreds of thousands of dollars in fines.
If You Were Charged with Firearms Trafficking Crimes in New Jersey, Speak with Our Highly Rated Weapons Trafficking Defense Lawyer in Mount Laurel, NJ Today
If either state or federal authorities have accused or charged you with weapons trafficking and related crimes, you need to urgently seek the help of an experienced firearms defense attorney. Our New Jersey firearms and weapons trafficking attorney is well-versed in both federal and state laws on the sale and distribution of illegal weapons, and we can help you beat the charges you face. Contact us today for sound legal guidance and representation in your firearms trafficking case.
Frequently Asked Questions About Firearms and Weapons Trafficking in New Jersey
As per New Jersey law, anyone who has ever been committed to a healthcare institution for a mental disorder, unless they have proof that they no longer suffer from said disorder, cannot own a firearm. Anyone convicted of the unlawful use, possession, or sale of controlled dangerous substances, unless the offense was classified as a misdemeanor, cannot own a firearm. The same rules apply to those convicted of domestic violence, those subject to domestic violence restraining orders, and convicted felons found guilty of various serious crimes such as aggravated assault, arson, burglary, homicide, kidnapping, robbery, aggravated sexual assault, carjacking, gang criminality, racketeering, and terroristic threats.
The ATF—the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives—is a law enforcement agency that operates under the US Department of Justice. It protects communities from violent criminals, criminal organizations, and the illegal use and trafficking of firearms, as well as the illegal use and storage of explosives. Arson, bombings, acts of terrorism, and illegal activities involving alcohol and tobacco products are also handled by the ATF in conjunction with communities, industry, law enforcement, and public safety agencies. Your case and/or the charges you face for gun crimes in New Jersey may involve local police, the ATF, and state prosecutors. The FBI may also be involved when federal crimes occur. These are usually those that arise when crimes occur beyond state lines and/or when federal agencies are involved. If you face firearms charges of any kind in New Jersey, irrespective of the agency or department investigating or handling those crimes, contact our New Jersey firearms and weapons trafficking attorney today.