Hollow Point Bullets are Legal to Buy in NJ, but Don’t Use them During a Crime
New Jersey police are trying to figure out where five teens obtained two handguns before they allegedly initiated a stolen-car spree last week. One handgun was a 9 mm semiautomatic with hollow-point bullets and the other was a 22-caliber revolver.
Woodbridge police Cap. Roy Hoppock said, “It’s crazy and you think you’ve seen everything until this. Where they got the weapons and the hollow-point bullets are definitely something we are looking at. This is still under investigation.”
According to an NJ.com report, one of the guns was found in a stolen car, while the other was on the ground nearby. Two vehicles were stolen in total. One from a home in Woodbridge, and the other from East Orange.
In early February, officers spotted the teenagers in the early morning hours, sitting in three vehicles in close proximity to where one of the cars was stolen. The teens fled as officers approached, but they were arrested after one of the vehicles crashed into a snow bank and the other into another car. Fortunately, no injuries were reported.
The teens are being charged with robbery, unlawful possession of weapons, possession of prohibited weapons and devices, receiving stolen property, eluding, conspiracy and possession of marijuana.
Hollow-point bullets are legal in New Jersey, but illegal if used in the commission of a crime. “They’re legal to purchase. We sell them,” said Ben Cerca, the operations manager of an indoor shooting range in Belleville, NJ “But they’re illegal to possess if you’re planning to commit a crime.”
New Jersey has some of the strictest gun laws in the country. Being charged with any kind of weapons offense in New Jersey comes with severe penalties. The Graves Act applies to gun charges and institutes a mandatory term of parole ineligibility. Skilled legal representation is essential to protect your rights and your freedom.
The tenacious criminal defense lawyers at Bramnick, Rodriguez, Grabas, Arnold & Mangan, LLC will protect your rights and fight for your freedom. Contact us today for a free consultation about your charges.