South Brunswick Man Among Those Charged in Latest Statewide Gun Crackdown

The State of New Jersey charged 51 defendants with gun trafficking and possession crimes, including three incidents in Middlesex County, in a new round of indictments announced on Wednesday.

Raymond Rivera, 40, of Monmouth Junction, allegedly sold a rifle, illegally, in New Brunswick in July 2012. He was charged Monday with unlawful possession and sale of a rifle and possessing a gun as a convicted felon. He faces five to 10 years in prison and five years of parole ineligibility for the possession of a weapon by a convicted felon charge.

This case was handled by the Division of Criminal Justice Gangs & Organized Crime Bureau, officials said.

Waleed Thomas, 39, of Perth Amboy, was indicted on charges of unlawful possession and sale of a handgun in Perth Amboy in December, 2011. He and Roscoe Holloway, 46, of Camden, were charged with conspiracy to sell a pistol grip, 12-gauge shotgun in Newark in January of 2012. They were indicted on Sept. 23. Thomas faces five to 10 years in prison on his charges, while he and Holloway face three to five years for the conspiracy charge.

John Muyeka, 38, of Sayreville, allegedly sold a defaced handgun in Irvington in August of last year. He was charged on Sept. 23 with conspiracy, unlawful possession of a handgun, unlawful sale of a handgun and sale of a defaced firearm. He faces five to 10 years in prison.

The defendants were targeted as part of an initiative launched last year by State Police and the Division of Criminal Justice to aggressively combat gun violence in the state, according to Acting Attorney General John J. Hoffman. A total of 67 guns were involved in the latest statewide crackdown, conducted from Sept. 16-30.

"We are targeting those who rip apart communities by peddling murder and mayhem,” Hoffman said in a prepared statement. “We’ve bought back nearly 16,000 guns across New Jersey to ensure that unwanted guns don’t find their way into this black market. With these focused investigations, we also are taking back illegally trafficked guns that are the most likely to be used in violent crimes."

Since the beginning of the year, 65 defendants have been indicted in connection with offenses involving 94 guns. Last year, 57 defendants were indicted in connection with 87 guns as a result of the initiative.

Most of the defendants are subject to the Graves Act, which requires mandatory terms of parole ineligibility of up to five years.

Most of  the investigations were conducted by the State Police Weapons Trafficking North Unit, with help from the Weapons Trafficking South Unit and other New Jersey State Police units in certain cases, officials said.