| TRENTON – Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman announced that a Linden man was sentenced to prison for selling two assault rifles, an assault pistol, and a revolver to an undercover detective and an informant in a weapons trafficking investigation by the New Jersey State Police.
Andre Doss, 32, of Linden, was sentenced on Friday, July 19, to 10 years in prison, including five years of parole ineligibility, by Superior Court Judge Stuart L. Peim in Union County. He pleaded guilty on Jan. 3 to second-degree counts of conspiracy, unlawful possession of two assault firearms, and unlawful possession of a revolver, as well as third-degree unlawful possession of a weapon. He also pleaded guilty to charges of second-degree conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, MDPV, a drug known as “bath salts,” and third-degree conspiracy to distribute a controlled dangerous substance, 5-Methoxy-diisopropyltryptamine, a drug known as “foxy.”
In pleading guilty, Doss admitted that in July and August 2011, he arranged and, with the help of co-defendant Duquan Wells, completed sales of an ITM Arms Co. semi-automatic rifle, a Tula Arsenal fully automatic rifle with large-capacity magazine, and a .22-caliber revolver. The guns were sold to an undercover detective of the New Jersey State Police. Doss also admitted that he sold a Cobray MAC-11 9mm assault pistol to an informant working with the State Police.
Wells, 31, of Linden, was sentenced on March 15 to five years in prison, including three years of parole ineligibility, by Judge Peim. Wells pleaded guilty on Dec. 10, 2012 to second-degree counts of conspiracy, unlawful possession of an assault firearm, and unlawful possession of a handgun, as well as third-degree unlawful possession of a weapon. He also pleaded guilty to a second-degree charge of conspiracy to distribute MDPV, a.k.a. “bath salts.”
Deputy Attorney General Brandy Malfitano handled the sentencing for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau.
“We are taking illegal guns off the streets through our criminal investigations and gun buybacks,” said Acting Attorney General Hoffman. “Moreover, through prison sentences such as this one, we also are taking the gun traffickers off the streets.”
“This defendant was willing to sell deadly assault weapons to anyone willing to pay his asking price,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “He showed a complete indifference to the potential violence that could be inflicted with his wares.”
The gun charges were contained in a May 9, 2012 indictment presented to the state grand jury by Deputy Attorney General Veronica Allende. The drug charges were contained in separate indictments. The two men were arrested by the New Jersey State Police on Jan. 6, 2012.
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