Group of Ten Charged in New Jersey for Smuggling, Selling Stolen Firearms

US Department of Justice announced that a group of ten men have been charged with smuggling and illegally selling dozens of firearms in the US state of New Jersey during the past year.

WASHINGTON (Sputnik) — A group of ten men have been charged with smuggling and illegally selling dozens of firearms in the US state of New Jersey during the past year, the US Department of Justice (DOJ) announced in a statement.

“Agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), assisted by investigators from local, county, state and federal partner agencies, arrested multiple individuals throughout South Jersey and Pennsylvania this morning for illegally selling and possessing 82 firearms in the Camden [New Jersey] area over a 12-month period,” the statement read.

The DOJ explained that many of the firearms seized from the group, ranging from semi-automatic pistols to assault-style rifles, were stolen or had obliterated serial numbers.

The defendants appeared in a New Jersey court on Wednesday and were charged with dealing firearms without a license, conspiring to deal and sell stolen firearms.

The charges carry a maximum penalty of five years in prison each and a $250,000 fine. Possessing a firearm while being a convicted felon and selling a stolen firearm each carry a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.