Police in Mendham Township New Jersey recently arrested a man accused of possessing an illegal weapon in his motor vehicle.

A Mendham Township NJ patrol officer pulled over a vehicle on Route 24 after reportedly observing that the vehicle had broken lights.

Once the police officer had stopped the car, he approached the vehicle and began to question the driver. During the questioning, the officer became “suspicious” and noticed “a number of indicators” that the suspect was committing a crime.

Police eventually made the determination that the driver was in possession of a loaded weapon inside the car.

A subsequent search of the suspect’s vehicle allegedly led to the discovery of the illegal handgun. Police also allegedly found more 100 rounds of ammunition inside the car.

Police placed the suspect under arrest without incident.

The suspect was transported to police headquarters in Mendham Township, where he was formally charged with unlawful possession of a weapon.

If the suspect is convicted on the very serious weapons charges, he could face significant penalties. That’s because N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5 stipulates that anyone found in possession of a handgun without first obtaining a carry permit can be charged with a third degree criminal offense. A conviction on third degree illegal handgun charges could net the suspect a sentence of up to 5 years in NJ State Prison.

 

For more information about this case, read the NJ.com article entitled “Loaded Gun, Ammo Found Inside Car During Traffic Stop, Mendham Township Cops Say.”