A coin vendor involved in a shooting incident at a Parsippany coin show is probably headed to NJ State Prison after he pleaded guilty to gun crime charges.
The suspect is a 59-year-old man from Hasbrouck Heights in Bergen County, NJ. According to law enforcement officials, the suspect accidentally discharged his handgun at a coin show in Parsippany, New Jersey.
The violent incident happened in May 2016. The suspect was attending the Parsippany NJ coin show as a vendor and allegedly had a loaded .380-caliber firearm when he entered the building.
When the suspect’s weapon discharged while being kept in his pocket, a bullet ricocheted off the ground and struck the victim.
The victim was a 67-year-old Toms River man who was also attending the show as a vendor. He sustained minor injuries in the shooting.
The suspect was arrested and charged with several weapons offenses.
If the suspect had fought the criminal charges at trial in Morris County Superior Court in Morristown, he would have faced 10 years in state prison. However, the suspect avoided trial by reaching a plea agreement with the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office.
The suspect recently appeared in Morris County Superior Court and pleaded guilty to unlawful possession of a weapon charges.
When the suspect makes another court appearance later this summer, it is expected that he will be sentenced to a term of incarceration of three years.
For additional information about this case, read the NJ.com article, “Vendor Who Accidentally Shot Man at Coin Show Now Faces 3 Years in Prison.”