Antoine Hawkins, Gun and Heroin Charges, New Jersey 2020
Newark Man Charged with Gun and Heroin Crimes
An Essex County, New Jersey, man has been indicted on charges stemming from illegally possessing ammunition in connection with two shootings, illegally possessing a handgun, and possessing heroin with the intent to distribute, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
Antoine Hawkins, 31, of Newark, is charged with two counts of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Hawkins fired a gun on a Newark street on Aug. 18, 2020, striking a victim who survived. He was also identified as the perpetrator of another shooting in Newark on Aug. 13, 2020. Cartridge casings from the locations of both shootings are a ballistics match.
On Sept. 16, 2020, law enforcement officers conducted a surveillance operation in connection with the Aug. 18, 2020, shooting. During the surveillance operation, a law enforcement officer approached Hawkins and observed what appeared to be the imprint of a firearm on Hawkins’s jacket. The law enforcement officer frisked Hawkins and located and seized a 9mm Springfield Armory XDM pistol, which was loaded with 19 rounds of ammunition.
The firearm and ammunition offenses each carry maximum potential penalties of 10 years in prison and fines of $250,000. The count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime carries a statutory mandatory minimum penalty of five years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other sentence Hawkins receives, and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison. The narcotics offense carries a maximum potential penalty of 30 years in prison, and a fine of $2 million.
Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Drug Enforcement Administration, and special agents of the Department of Homeland Security with the investigation leading to the charges.
The charges and allegations contained in the indictment are merely accusations, and Hawkins is presumed innocent. He will be arraigned on a date to be determined.
Defendant: Antoine Hawkins
Criminal Charges: Two counts of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin, and one count of possessing a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.
City and State: Newark, New Jersey
Exact Date: August 18, 2020
Sentence or Outcome: Arraignment pending
Dollar Amounts: $250,000 (fine), $2,000,000 (fine)
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Violent Crime|Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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