Christian Cordero-Gotay, a 29-year-old man from Brooklyn, New York, has pleaded guilty to possessing a machinegun in a New Jersey court. The charges against him include possession of a machinegun, possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession of a machinegun not registered to him in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record.
According to the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the charges were brought after Cordero-Gotay was stopped by officers from the Clinton Township Police Department on August 31, 2020. The officers detected an odor of burnt marijuana coming from the vehicle and found a loaded Glock magazine under the driver’s seat. When the officers attempted to arrest Cordero-Gotay, he resisted arrest, and his companion, Genesis Bertefabian, drove away. Bertefabian later crashed into a building and abandoned the vehicle, leading law enforcement officials to search the area and find a 9mm Glock-type semiautomatic firearm fitted with a Glock conversion device, commonly referred to as a ‘Glock Switch.’
The firearm was found to have been converted into a machinegun, and two high-capacity magazines loaded with 9mm ammunition were recovered from the vehicle. Cordero-Gotay’s guilty plea comes as part of a deal, which carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000 for each of the three charges.
The charges against Bertefabian remain pending, and he is still presumed innocent unless proven guilty. Cordero-Gotay is scheduled to be sentenced on November 23, 2021.
Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig credited the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, Newark Division, and the Clinton Township Police Department with the investigation leading to the charges.
The government is represented by Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Stacey E. Zyriek Enriquez of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Violent Crimes Unit in Newark.
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Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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