Mahwah Man Charged After Allegedly Attempting to Shoot His Brother
According to James Batelli, the chief of the Mahwah Police Department, 31-year-old Mahwah resident Stephen Schwarz is accused of attempting to shoot his brother, Roy Schwarz, when Roy arrived at Stephen’s residence at approximately 9:00 p.m. on Monday, June 23rd. Per reports, Stephen was using a shotgun at the time, the ammunition of which did not actually make contact with the alleged victim. Police reportedly discovered the ejected ammunition in the home’s porch.
When recounting the series of events to authorities, Roy said he then punched through the glass of the door, which was locked, subsequently restraining his brother while waiting for officers to arrive on the scene. Roy was later treated for his wounds at Ridgewood’s Valley Hospital. His explanation for the incident involved an ongoing dispute between the brothers regarding money.
As for Stephen, the charges he is now facing for aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose are directly related to the aforementioned incident, while those for possession of marijuana and drug paraphernalia reportedly resulted from events that followed. Officers from the Mahwah Police Department said they noticed the drugs and paraphernalia in plain view on a table in the living room while they were in the process of securing the scene.
Schwarz is currently being held at the Bergen County Jail, with his bail set at $50,000. Among the crimes for which he is accused, those for aggravated assault and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose are considered extremely serious under New Jersey law. For example, according to N.J.S.A. 2C:39-4, which governs charges for possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, offenses of this kind involving firearms are classified as second degree crimes. This means that Schwarz could be sentenced to serve between 5 and 10 years in New Jersey State Prison if he is found guilty of this crime alone.
For more information pertaining to this case, access the following article: Mahwah police say man shot buckshot at brother in money dispute