A Jersey City felon pleaded guilty to brandishing an illegal handgun in someone else’s apartment, forcing a mother and daughter to leave, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachel Honig announced.
By John Heinis/Hudson County View
Javon Alston, 37, of Jersey City, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi in Newark federal court to an indictment charging him with possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, Honig said in a statement.
On November 6th, 2020, Alston entered Victim 1’s apartment, brandished a small gray handgun, and told Victim 1 and her daughter, Victim 2, to leave.
They left the apartment and alerted police, who apprehended Alston near their apartment a short time later. When he was arrested, Alston was carrying a silver-and-black handgun loaded with nine rounds of ammunition.
Hen had previously been convicted of robbery in the Hudson County Superior Court and sentenced to five years in prison.
The charge of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000. Sentencing is scheduled for March 15th, 2022.
Honig credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge George M. Crouch Jr. in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.
She also thanked the Jersey City Police Department, under the leadership of Public Safety Director James Shea, for assistance in the investigation.
