Defendant Sentenced for Arsenal of Weapons at Fort Lee Apartment
Fort Lee Man Gets Prison for Stashing Assault Weapons & Handguns at Apartment
Handling Drug and Gun Charges in Fort Lee, New Jersey
Gun Charges Fort Lee NJ
If you have been arrested and charged with guns and drugs in Bergen County, we can help. Our experienced Bergen county criminal lawyers have literally handled hundreds of these cased over the years with great success. In fact, some of our attorneys used to prosecute these cases for the State of New Jersey. Now, let them put their experience and expertise to work defending you against these very serious charges.
Here is a real case that was recently handled in the Bergen County court involving a defendant charged with guns and drugs.
A Fort Lee, NJ man has been sentenced to five years behind bars in state prison after pleading guilty to criminal weapons charges. The defendant in the NJ gun crime case was Onn Rapeika, a resident of Fort Lee in Bergen County, New Jersey. According to law enforcement, Rapeika had an arsenal of illegal assault weapons and handguns at his Fort Lee apartment. Fort Lee police conducted a raid of the apartment in 2014 and discovered more than 30 firearms, as well as “a large quantity of narcotics.” The firearms found by police included assault weapons, while the drugs included cocaine, marijuana, and prescription drugs. Fort Lee authorities also confiscated thousands of rounds of firearms ammunition, explosive devices, and portable gas tanks.
After the raid, Fort Lee Police Chief Keith M. Bendul issued a statement and said that the Fort Lee Police Bomb Squad was called to the scene to ensure that the explosive devices inside the apartment were not dangerous. Bendul said that once the devices were found to be inert, law enforcement continued the raid and placed Rapeika under arrest. Rapeika was subsequently taken to the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, NJ, where he has remained ever since.
Plea Deal Reached in Fort Lee Assault Weapons Case
Rapeika faced numerous criminal charges in connection with the raid, including multiple counts of unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana with intent to distribute, and prescription drug crimes. If Rapeika had gone to trial in the Bergen County Superior Court and been convicted, he could have been subject to decades in prison. He avoided trial in the case, however, by reaching a plea deal with the Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office. In exchange for Rapeika pleading guilty to one of the weapons possession charges, Bergen County prosecutors agreed to drop the remaining weapons and drug charges against him.
Now Rapeika has been sentenced to a term of incarceration of five years in New Jersey State Prison. The Bergen County Superior Court judge signed off on the terms of the plea agreement and sentenced him. Rapeika will be required to serve a minimum of 3 1/2 years in prison because the NJ Graves Act applies to gun possession cases and calls for mandatory minimum prison sentences in these types of cases.
Contact Aggressive Fort Lee Weapons Defense Lawyer Travis Tormey Today
Have you been charged with a criminal weapons offense in Fort Lee, Paramus, Bergenfield, or anywhere else in Bergen County, New Jersey? Then you need a skilled Bergen County criminal defense attorney on your side. Contact Travis J. Tormey now to schedule a free initial consultation about your case.
