Brandon Jacobs, Handgun and Drug Possession, New Jersey 2021

An Essex County man is behind bars after being charged with illegally possessing two handguns and drugs. According to the U.S. Attorney's Office, Brandon Jacobs, 30, of Newark, was arrested on January 31, 2021, after police received a tip that he was responsible for a recent shooting and was driving a stolen vehicle in the vicinity of 6th Street in Newark.

Police located the vehicle, with Jacobs in the driver's seat and one passenger. During the search, officers found a loaded 9mm semi-automatic handgun in his left coat pocket and a loaded .44 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver in his right coat pocket. Additionally, Jacobs was in possession of 35 glassine envelopes of heroin, 73 glass vials containing suspected crack cocaine, and $688 in cash. A loaded shotgun was also found in the front seat area of the vehicle.

Brandon Jacobs, a convicted felon, is charged with one count of possessing as a convicted felon a 9mm Glock, with 17 rounds of ammunition, and a .44 caliber Smith & Wesson revolver with six rounds of ammunition, one count each of possession of crack cocaine with intent to distribute and possession of heroin with intent to distribute, and one count of possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug crime.

The charges against Jacobs carry significant penalties. The count of possession of a firearm as a convicted felon carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The drug possession counts each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine. The count of possessing a weapon during the commission of a drug crime carries a mandatory minimum of five years in prison, a maximum of 15 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

The investigation was led by special agents of the U.S. Attorney's Office and officers with the Newark Police Department. Jacobs made his initial court appearance before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor and was detained.

The government is represented by Senior Litigation Counsel V. Grady O'Malley Sr. of the U.S. Attorney's Office's Organized Crime/Gangs Unit.

Mandatory Facts: Defendant: Brandon Jacobs, Real full name or legal entity name: Brandon Jacobs, City and state: Newark, New Jersey, Exact date: January 31, 2021, Sentence or outcome: Detained, Dollar amounts where applicable: $688 in cash.

Source: https://www.justice.gov/usao-nj/pr/essex-county-man-charged-illegally-possessing-two-handguns-and-drugs