A Texas man accused of trying to sell guns in Edgewater NJ was recently granted 5 years of probation instead of a prison sentence.

The 36-year-old defendant is reportedly a physical trainer from Lewisville, Texas. He was arrested in 2012 when Bergen County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force members allegedly saw him trying to sell six handguns.

According to authorities, the defendant attempted to sell the weapons in exchange for $7,200.

The arrest was the culmination of a sting by Bergen County authorities. An undercover detective arranged to meet the defendant in Edgewater, New Jersey. The deal was supposed to be completed at the meeting.

When the defendant pulled up in his vehicle, task force members stopped his car. The defendant reportedly allowed police to search his vehicle and the residence where he was staying in Jersey City. The search turned up six unregistered handguns.

The defendant was placed under arrest and charged with several weapons offenses, including multiple counts of unlawful possession of a weapon.

Police also believe that the defendant was selling handguns in New Jersey and New York. Police said that the defendant trafficked the illegal weapons between Texas and the Tri-State Area.

The defendant eventually appeared in Bergen County Superior Court in Hackensack NJ and pleaded guilty to the charges.

A superior court judge later handed down the sentence, which calls for the defendant to serve 5 years of probation. Both the prosecution and the defense attorneys requested that the judge issue probation and spare the defendant a prison sentence.

As a result of the felony conviction, the defendant will likely be deported to Ecuador.

For more information about this case, check out the NJ.com article entitled “Man Illegally Selling Guns in Bergen County Gets Probation, Report Says.”