By: Richard L. Smith
An Atlantic City man has pleaded guilty to weapons and assault charges in connection with two separate incidents investigated by local police.
According to information released by authorities, Shawn Braxton, 49, of Atlantic City, entered a guilty plea Monday, March 9, 2026, in Superior Court in Mays Landing to second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun without a permit and third-degree aggravated assault.
Under the terms of the plea agreement, Braxton is expected to be sentenced to five years in New Jersey State Prison with a parole ineligibility period of three and a half years.
That sentence will run concurrent with a separate four-year state prison term.
Authorities said the first incident occurred on December 7, 2024, when officers with the Atlantic City Police Department responded to reports of an assault.
Investigators determined that Braxton allegedly spat on, punched, and attempted to use pepper spray against another individual during the confrontation.
He was later located and taken into custody.
Prosecutors initially sought to have Braxton detained following that arrest, but the court ordered his release under pretrial monitoring.
Officials said Braxton was arrested again months later on June 29, 2025, after Atlantic City police conducted a motor vehicle stop. 
During that stop, officers determined that Braxton, who was a passenger in the vehicle, was in possession of a handgun despite not having a permit to carry one. Following that arrest, the court ordered that he be detained.
Braxton is scheduled to be sentenced on April 20, 2026, in Atlantic County Superior Court.