| TRENTON – Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman announced that five men have been indicted on charges that they illegally trafficked 11 guns – including two stolen handguns, an illegal assault weapon, a sawed-off shotgun and prohibited hollow-point bullets – during an undercover investigation by the New Jersey State Police in Newark.
The Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau obtained a 26-count state grand jury indictment on Friday, Aug. 29, charging the following men with conspiracy and weapons offenses:
- Alvin Horace, 23, of Irvington, and
- Alatarik Walker, 36, of Newark.
- Frazier Gibson, 28, of Montclair,
- Christopher Davis, 41, of Newark, and
- Lamar Dalton, 37, of Newark.
The ring allegedly bought guns in North Carolina and transported them into New Jersey for sale in Newark and the surrounding area. Walker allegedly brought most of the guns into the state, and Horace allegedly arranged most of the sales. The other defendants allegedly assisted them in the sales.
“The TIDE-TAG initiative that we launched in April in Newark has all levels of law enforcement joining forces to target the violent offenders who carry guns in public,” said Acting Attorney General Hoffman. “Through prosecutions such as this one, we also are striking directly at the source of the guns that are being used in violent crimes, and that are killing and maiming innocent bystanders who get caught in the crossfire.”
“The State Police and the Division of Criminal Justice are working ceaselessly to lock up those who put black-market guns in the hands of criminals in our communities,” said Director Elie Honig of the Division of Criminal Justice. “We are meeting this threat with the strongest law enforcement response.”
“The result of this investigation is a testament to the cooperation of law enforcement agencies and our joint dedication to the TIDE-TAG initiative. As a result of this operation, we have intercepted numerous weapons that these defendants illegally trafficked and that they planned to sell to people who deliberately want to circumvent lawfully purchasing a firearm,” said Colonel Rick Fuentes, Superintendent of the New Jersey State Police. “I commend all who were involved with keeping these weapons out of our communities.”
Horace and Walker, with the assistance of the other three defendants, allegedly trafficked guns from North Carolina and sold them illegally on the street in New Jersey. Between July and November 2013, Horace and one or more of the other defendants allegedly sold the following guns to an undercover operative who was working with the New Jersey State Police. In one instance, Walker allegedly sold a gun on his own.
- On July 29, 2013, Horace and Davis allegedly arranged and carried out the sale of a Russian-made Mosin-Nagent PW Arms bolt-action rifle in Newark.
- On Aug. 18, 2013, Horace and Davis allegedly arranged and carried out the sale of three handguns in Newark.
- On Aug. 5, 2013, Horace and Gibson allegedly arranged and carried out the sale of a Russian-made SKS-45 semi-automatic rifle in Newark.
- On Aug. 21, 2013, Horace allegedly arranged and carried out the sale of a TEC-DC9 assault weapon in Irvington.
- On Oct. 21, 2013, Horace, Walker and Dalton allegedly arranged and carried out the sale of a Mossberg .22-caliber rifle in Newark.
- On November 4, 2013, Walker allegedly arranged and carried out the sale of two stolen handguns and multiple hollow-point and full metal jacket rounds in Newark.
- On Nov. 13, 2013, Horace allegedly arranged and carried out the sale of an illegal sawed-off shotgun loaded with 12 shotgun shells in Newark.
All of the defendants face second-degree weapons charges, and all except Gibson face second-degree conspiracy charges. Gibson faces a third-degree conspiracy charge. Second-degree crimes carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison. Walker and Gibson are charged with second-degree possession of a weapon as a convicted felon, which carries a mandatory minimum sentence of five years in prison without parole. The other second-degree weapons charges carry a mandatory minimum sentence of 3 ½ years in prison without parole. Walker also faces two counts of first-degree possession of a weapon as a convicted felon, because he has a prior armed robbery conviction. That charge carries a sentence of 10 to 20 years in prison.
The five men are variously charged with additional third- and fourth-degree weapons offenses. Third-degree charges carry a sentence of three to five years in state prison, while fourth-degree charges carry a sentence of up to 18 months in prison.
Deputy Attorney General Brandy Malfitano presented the indictment to the state grand jury for the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau.
The indictment returned today is merely an accusation and the defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty. The indictment is posted with this press release at www.njpublicsafety.com.
The indictment was handed up to Superior Court Pedro J. Jimenez Jr. in Mercer County, who assigned the case to Essex County, where the defendants will be ordered to appear at a later date to be arraigned on the charges. ### |
