Today, an Essex County man was sentenced to 32 months in prison for being a felon in possession of a firearm, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Honig, Joseph Triplett, 32, of East Orange, previously pleaded guilty to an information charging him with being a felon in possession of a firearm.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On September 6, 2019, Newark Police Department officers were patrolling the area of South 8th Street when they observed Triplett, a previously convicted felon, riding a bicycle on the sidewalk and maneuvering around pedestrians, in violation of local ordinances.
One of the officers then identified himself as a police officer, showed his badge, and ordered Triplett to stop.
Triplett refused to stop and rode off in the opposite direction on the sidewalk. Shortly after, Triplett discarded a black fanny pack that he had been wearing across his chest.
After the officers pursued and arrested Triplett, they retrieved the fanny pack from the street and found inside a .38 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver, which was loaded with five rounds of ammunition.
As a previously convicted felon, Triplett is not permitted to possess a firearm.