Wyckoff New Jersey police arrested a man who was allegedly in possession of a handgun when he threatened a local merchant.

The Wyckoff Police Department received a call about a disturbance at a business. According to authorities, the 42-year-old suspect showed up at the business during the early morning hours for the purpose of collecting a debt from the owner. He allegedly waited outside the store until the owner arrived.

The suspect, who is from New York, reportedly demanded $7,000 from the victim. When the victim refused to pay, the suspect allegedly threatened him by saying, “You won’t like the next visit.”

Wyckoff NJ police officers arrived at the scene a short time later and spoke with the victim and the suspect. The officers placed the suspect under arrest after they allegedly found him in possession of a loaded .380 caliber handgun.

Police also reportedly found the suspect in possession of a piece of paper with the victim’s home address, as well as the names of his wife, children, parents, and sister.

The suspect has been charged with a number of criminal offenses, including unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, terroristic threats, and theft by extortion.

Additionally, the suspect was charged with simple possession of marijuana because police allegedly found him in possession of a small amount of pot.

If the suspect is ultimately convicted on the weapons charges, he faces significant penalties. As set forth by N.J.S.A. 2C:39-5, anyone who knowingly has in their possession a handgun without first having obtained a carry permit can be charged with a third degree felony. A conviction on third degree illegal handgun possession charges could result in a sentence of 3-5 years in NJ State Prison.

After being arrested and processed, the suspect was taken to the Bergen County Jail in Hackensack, New Jersey. He is currently being held at the correctional facility in lieu of $85,000 bail.

For more information about this case, see the NJ.com article entitled “Man Accused of Threatening Merchant Arrested with Loaded Gun, Wyckoff Police Say.”