NEWARK, N.J. – Another thug off the streets. Christian Cordero-Gotay, 29, of Brooklyn, New York, will spend the next 30 months in federal prison after being sentenced today for possessing a machinegun, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced. The case highlights the continued flow of illegal firearms and the risks they pose to public safety.
Cordero-Gotay previously pleaded guilty via video conference before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton to one count each of possession of a machinegun, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession of a machinegun not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record. The man already had a record, and clearly learned no lessons.
The bust went down August 31, 2020, when Clinton Township Police officers pulled over a vehicle carrying Cordero-Gotay and Genesis Bertefabian, 28. The smell of marijuana was enough to trigger a search, and officers quickly found a loaded Glock magazine stashed under the driver’s seat. Things escalated fast. Cordero-Gotay resisted arrest, and Bertefabian floored it, leading cops on a brief chase.
The joyride ended when Bertefabian crashed into a building and then bolted on foot into a nearby wooded area. A search turned up a 9mm Glock-type semiautomatic firearm. It wasn’t just any handgun, though. The weapon had been illegally modified with a “Glock Switch,” a device that transforms a semiautomatic pistol into a fully automatic machinegun. A subsequent search of the vehicle revealed two high-capacity magazines packed with 9mm ammunition. This wasn’t just about a gun; it was about turning a handgun into a weapon of mass destruction.
Judge Wigenton didn’t mess around, sentencing Cordero-Gotay to three years of supervised release in addition to the 30-month prison term. The Acting U.S. Attorney Honig praised the work of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives (ATF), Newark Division, led by Special Agent in Charge Jeffrey L. Matthews, and the Clinton Township Police Department, under the direction of Lieutenant Thomas DeRosa. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey E. Zyriek Enriquez of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crimes Unit in Newark handled the prosecution.
As for Bertefabian, he’s still facing charges of illegal possession of a machine gun and possession of an unregistered firearm. He maintains his innocence, but the evidence speaks for itself. The case remains pending, and he will be presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. Grimy Times will continue to follow this developing story.
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Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Weapons|Violent Crime|Organized Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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