NJ Gun Grab

[S4Lee]

http://www.northjersey.com/news/crimeandcourts/Man_with_500_guns_dodges_a_bullet.html

Home : News : Crime & Courts

Crime & CourtsGun 'enthusiast,' 84, avoids jail time Wednesday, April 9, 2008
Last updated: Wednesday April 9, 2008, EDT 5:10 AM BY KIBRET MARKOSSTAFF WRITER

An 84-year-old man who kept nearly 500 guns, 800 pounds of gunpowder and 75,000 rounds of ammunition at his Ridgefield home pleaded guilty Tuesday to creating a community hazard.

Sherwin Raymond had rejected plea offers since his arrest in 2005 and insisted that his stash of rifles and pistols was nothing more than that of a gun enthusiast.

On Tuesday, however, after jurors were picked for his trial in state Superior Court in Hackensack, Raymond took a plea deal that requires him to serve up to five years' probation.

Instead of getting his guns back, Raymond also agreed to have a dealer sell them and turn over the proceeds.

"I feel it's a practical resolution for Mr. Raymond," Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Marybel Ramirez said. "The state doesn't take any pleasure in prosecuting an elderly man, but if you break the law, you will be prosecuted."

Raymond admitted in court that he kept gunpowder in his garage, where static could have sparked an explosion and a fire in the neighborhood.

"I am pleased that the police did a great job and we were able to save the community from a possibly catastrophic explosion," Ramirez said.

Responding to a series of questions from Ramirez and defense lawyer Richard Gilbert, Raymond also admitted that he possessed a large-capacity magazine that could carry up to 30 bullets. It is illegal under state law to own a firearm magazine that carries more than 15 rounds.

Had he been convicted in a trial, Raymond would have faced up to 10 years in prison.

Raymond, however, was not charged with possession of the guns, most of which were not registered. There is no clear legislation or case law that requires the weapons to be registered, prosecutors said.

Despite having two prior convictions, Raymond also could not be charged with violating a law that prohibits certain convicts from possessing weapons.

Raymond, once a licensed physician, was convicted in the 1960s of performing abortions when they were illegal. He was also convicted in federal court on weapons charges in the 1970s, after which his doctor's license was revoked.

The law that prohibits some convicts from purchasing or possessing weapons only covers certain convictions, including murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, aggravated assault and sexual assault. It does not cover Raymond's convictions.

Police said they found the stash on May 31, 2005, when neighbors called 911 to alert them that Raymond's wife, Elizabeth Raymond, was wandering around disoriented. Elizabeth Raymond, 83, suffered from Alzheimer's disease, they said.

Officers took her back to her home, where they spotted the guns and gunpowder.

Raymond, whose hearing is impaired, followed the proceedings through transcripts typed onto a computer screen by a stenographer.

At one point he angered Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Roma when he said he couldn't read the words "Explosives" from a photo of a gunpowder container that was seized from his home.

After Roma threatened him with a perjury charge for not being truthful, Raymond's reading improved.

"It says 'Explosives' but I don't know what is in there," he said.

Ramirez told Roma that the gunpowder and the bullets were destroyed by court order.

Investigators have tested the guns and determined that none of them had been used in a crime, prosecutors said.

Raymond is scheduled for sentencing on June 6.

E-mail: [email protected]

Page 1 2 >>
An 84-year-old man who kept nearly 500 guns, 800 pounds of gunpowder and 75,000 rounds of ammunition at his Ridgefield home pleaded guilty Tuesday to creating a community hazard.


JIM ANNESS / THE RECORD
Sherwin Raymond in state Superior Court in Hackensack on Tuesday. Sherwin Raymond had rejected plea offers since his arrest in 2005 and insisted that his stash of rifles and pistols was nothing more than that of a gun enthusiast.

On Tuesday, however, after jurors were picked for his trial in state Superior Court in Hackensack, Raymond took a plea deal that requires him to serve up to five years' probation.

Instead of getting his guns back, Raymond also agreed to have a dealer sell them and turn over the proceeds.

"I feel it's a practical resolution for Mr. Raymond," Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Marybel Ramirez said. "The state doesn't take any pleasure in prosecuting an elderly man, but if you break the law, you will be prosecuted."

Raymond admitted in court that he kept gunpowder in his garage, where static could have sparked an explosion and a fire in the neighborhood.

"I am pleased that the police did a great job and we were able to save the community from a possibly catastrophic explosion," Ramirez said.

Responding to a series of questions from Ramirez and defense lawyer Richard Gilbert, Raymond also admitted that he possessed a large-capacity magazine that could carry up to 30 bullets. It is illegal under state law to own a firearm magazine that carries more than 15 rounds.

Had he been convicted in a trial, Raymond would have faced up to 10 years in prison.

Raymond, however, was not charged with possession of the guns, most of which were not registered. There is no clear legislation or case law that requires the weapons to be registered, prosecutors said.

Despite having two prior convictions, Raymond also could not be charged with violating a law that prohibits certain convicts from possessing weapons.

Raymond, once a licensed physician, was convicted in the 1960s of performing abortions when they were illegal. He was also convicted in federal court on weapons charges in the 1970s, after which his doctor's license was revoked.

The law that prohibits some convicts from purchasing or possessing weapons only covers certain convictions, including murder, manslaughter, kidnapping, aggravated assault and sexual assault. It does not cover Raymond's convictions.

Police said they found the stash on May 31, 2005, when neighbors called 911 to alert them that Raymond's wife, Elizabeth Raymond, was wandering around disoriented. Elizabeth Raymond, 83, suffered from Alzheimer's disease, they said.

Officers took her back to her home, where they spotted the guns and gunpowder.

Raymond, whose hearing is impaired, followed the proceedings through transcripts typed onto a computer screen by a stenographer.

At one point he angered Superior Court Judge Patrick J. Roma when he said he couldn't read the words "Explosives" from a photo of a gunpowder container that was seized from his home.

After Roma threatened him with a perjury charge for not being truthful, Raymond's reading improved.

"It says 'Explosives' but I don't know what is in there," he said.

Ramirez told Roma that the gunpowder and the bullets were destroyed by court order.

Investigators have tested the guns and determined that none of them had been used in a crime, prosecutors said.

Raymond is scheduled for sentencing on June 6.

E-mail: [email protected]

(I tried to add the following as a comment to the article, but it wouldn't let me for some reason.)

What's with the 'enthusiast' in quotes? Was he something other than an 'enthusiast'? Is this an editorial? I'd appreciate more facts and less speculation and opinion from my news sources.

First, let's consider his firearm collection. If it was a 'stash', as mentioned in the article, it would've implied something hidden, and wouldn't have been casually seen by police when they brought his wife home (not to mention the unfounded shady implications of the word 'stash' by the reporter). Assuming that his collection was a lifelong hobby, he may have bought on the average of 7-8 guns a year during his adult life, well within the "one gun a month" limits that many anti-gun groups push for. When you think about those 7-8 guns, consider how many items you buy a year for your favorite hobby, be it tires for use in autocross ('street racers'), binoculars for birding ('peeping toms / sex offenders'), frequent travel ('smugglers'), cameras, lenses and film and/or batteries for photographers ('terrorists planning an attack'), etc... Is every perfectly innocent hobby or activity going to be scrutinized until one finds something to prosecute for?

"Tens of thousands of bullets" also equates to 60 rounds per firearm assuming 30k bullets for the 500 firearms, a number of which one could easily go through in about 20 minutes at the shooting range. Since he also had the gunpowder on hand, we can also assume those weren't CARTRIDGES (what you actually load into a firearm, of which the bullet is only one of the components), but just the actual BULLETS (the projectiles that come out of the barrel and are sold to reloaders by the hundred to be made into cartridges, but are basically just shaped peices of lead and metal on thier own). Reloading your own bullets is in and of itself an enjoyable hobby for many firearm 'enthusiasts', and a reloader can save a significant amount of money over purchasing factory made ammunition, especially when buying in bulk, so having a few thousand bullets on hand doesn't seem to be a stretch.

So, based on the information in the article, it seems he wasn't actually doing anything illegal, which your article implies. The ONE 30-round mag (according to the article) he had may have been illegal (depending on manufacturing date), but that's not what he was charged with (not to mention that NJ law doesn't provide for any method to legally dispose of such items). Granted, it maybe wasn't the brightest idea to have 800 lbs of gunpowder in the garage, for which he was charged with "creating a community hazzard", but that charge can just as easily apply to the half-empty paint cans and other chemicals stacked in YOUR garage. Nowhere does it sound like this guy had any ill intent toward anyone, as evident in the charges brought against him. It sounds like something the prosecuter dug up because someone felt they had to charge him with SOMETHING. Based on that, does this guy deserve to lose a collection that he spent his entire life building, and is probably worth over $250k, over this?

Edit - Cleaned up text to send to the editors of the paper.

 

[Winchester 73]

"In Jersey anything's legal, as long as you don't get caught."

This says it all.
Former PRNJ subject,now living in Florida freedom.
Say hello to Paterson for me.

 

[MASTEROFMALICE]

I left Jersey for Virginia.

The only reason why New Jersey even exists on the map is because of its close proximity to New York. Other than a quick transit time to the City and Great Adventure the entire state is useless.

 

[brighamr]

Wow. that was the most horrible story I've read in some time.

so, let me get this correct. Someone calls the cops because of a non-violent situation (woman wandering around, dog in other yard, kid missing). Cops help to correct the non-violent situation, but see some guns inside a house. This gives them the authority to confiscate all firearm related objects and they convict the owner for... doing absolutely nothing illegal.

I can't say it enough times, thank $%^ I don't live in a place like that.

 

[highorder]

I wonder what % of the selling price, nevermind actual value he will receive for the forced sale of his legally owned property?

 

[HungSquirrel]

He did own some illegal items...the magazines. Apparently that is enough to force him to sell all his firearms.

Why do we need governments again? Someone refresh my memory.

 

[Winchester 73]

Why do we need governments again? Someone refresh my memory.

NJ is beyond all this.It is a Stalinist(Corzine)dictatorship where the peasants have absolutely no rights and the knock on the door(probably at 3 A.M., EDT)can come at any time.

 

[HungSquirrel]

Hence my comment. Every single state in the Union regularly infringes on one right or another with impunity. In NJ, it's 2A and 4A. Here in Alabama, it's 1A.

 

[Cmdr. Gravez0r]

"I am pleased that the police did a great job and we were able to save the community from a possibly catastrophic explosion," Ramirez said.

Right. Because that's the way it always works in the movies. "Gun nuts" with "stockpiles" that they set off in their "instability." More and more I get the feeling that the justice system and public opinion is guided by what happens on the screen, where terrorists always use AK's, where innocent people are always helpless against violence (unless, of course, they're former "operators") and violence is NEVER the anwer.

Investigators have tested the guns and determined that none of them had been used in a crime, prosecutors said.

Imagine that. 500 guns and they had Never NEVER been used in a crime, not once. It absolutely boggles the mind.

 

[ShooterMcGavin]

Imagine that. 500 guns and they had Never NEVER been used in a crime, not once. It absolutely boggles the mind.

C'mon. You must KNOW that this many guns had to be planning SOMETHING in the future

 

[bannockburn]

So after they sell off his gun collection, New Jersey will be a much safer place to live in, right?

 

[takhtakaal]

Sorry, but it's Ridgefield, NJ, about a stone's throw from Fort Lee, the George Washington Bridge, NYC itself, and about as absolutely, positively and completely NJ-police-state as you can get.

The only thing going for the area is easy access to Sabrett's hot dogs with red onions (not to mention Hiram's and Callahan's). Otherwise, fuhgeddaboutit.

 

[ColinthePilot]

I'll be keeping my gun stuff out of view of the front door, even though I live in Texas.
Yet another reason to never venture north of the Mason Dixon line. I wouldn't go north of VA but I have family in the Peoples' Republic of Maryland.

 

[xjchief]

Bah. Why not just tell the poor old guy that he can't have 800 lbs of gun power laying around in his garage because it violates some kind of fire code or something. Give him 10 days to get rid of the excess and go other their merry way to solve a real crime.

500 guns is a lot of guns

 

[Soybomb]

Raymond, however, was not charged with possession of the guns, most of which were not registered. There is no clear legislation or case law that requires the weapons to be registered, prosecutors said.

I wonder just who you register things with when things are not required to be registered....

I wonder what % of the selling price, nevermind actual value he will receive for the forced sale of his legally owned property?

Ramirez told Roma that the gunpowder and the bullets were destroyed by court order

Guns aside, that alone is a significant loss.

 

[MASTEROFMALICE]

Oddly enough, when I'm working as a cop, I'm not allowed to randomly take people's stuff when I observe them NOT breaking the law.

But bear in mind, this story is surely a very condensed version of months of work.

 

[Funderb]

where are the firearms up for sale?

Man, that is horribly depressing news.

 

[takhtakaal]

... this story is surely a very condensed version of months of work.

Hmm. Sounds like a re-definition of "incrementalism." It always ends up the same way -- things are seized and either become stolen trophies or molten steel. It isn't right unless the guy is seriously unable to complete ADLs and look after his possessions properly. It was said that they could have seized the powder, which I could understand -- that is a lot of gunpowder. But the firearms? No way.

Like I said before -- it's Jersey. I grew up there, lived there for a while, and won't go there unless I absolutely have to.

 

[GlowinPontiac]

while i dont think it was at all smart to be storing 800lbs of powder in your house i see no reason for charges and confiscation of guns. take the powder if its in violation of fire code but taking his guns is rediculous.

 

[axeman_g]

you know what... I said this when I was a kid and I say it now as an adlt resident of south jersey.....

NJ is two different states most times... North and South.

 

[never_retreat]

I live in this dump and i have never heard this story before. Me thinks someone has been keeping this quite for a while.

 

[Standing Wolf]

The founding fathers would weep.

 

[everallm]

He was lucky that the local constabulary didn't try the "evil, cop killer, JHP" gambit as well. I'm willing to bet he had at least one of these satanic rounds outside of his domicile........

Unfortunately this is a perfect example of "the best justice money can buy"...

An elderly man with limited means is sandbagged and threatened with massively inflated charges. His only recourses are fight it with potential bankruptcy with his wife taken into care or to rollover, bend and brace.

<RANT ON>

Oh and before we hear the perennial squeals of "He should justa moved outa Commie NJ", he probably couldn't and in any case why the hell should he.

This is one of the very reasons I DON'T leave the fine state of NJ and still insist on exercising my 2A rights, no matter how painful.

Bullying like this only succeeds as long as people acquiesce, if you believe in RKBA you should support the folks in states where it's hard, not crow about how good where you live is.......

<RANT OFF>

 

[SomeKid]

I am surprised the NRA or some gun group did not take his case. I think it would be good to start his case winding through the courts. See what SCOTUS says there.

 

[jrfoxx]

was not charged with possession of the guns, most of which were not registered. There is no clear legislation or case law that requires the weapons to be registered, prosecutors said.

Wow, how benevelant of our masters not to have charged him with a crime for a law they admit doesnt exist. See? the govt IS here to help, and loves us, each and every one....:banghead:

I wont bother pointing out a lot of the other ridiculous crap in the article, as some has been brought up already, and I see no need to quote the whole thing and respond, as thats what I'd have to do. (with the exception of the 30rd mag thing. sounds like the only ACTUAL law he broke.)