Federal Jury Convicts Newark, N.J., Man of Illegal Firearm/Drug Possession

CAMDEN, N.J. — A Newark, N.J., man was convicted by a federal jury today of possession of cocaine and marijuana with intent to distribute, possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense and unlawful possession of a loaded handgun by a convicted felon, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Jimmil Henderson, 29, was convicted of all three counts of a Superseding Indictment following a five–day trial before U.S. District Judge Joseph H. Rodriguez in Camden federal court.

According to documents filed in this case and the evidence at trial:

On Feb. 18, 2011, Newark Police Department officers were patrolling the area of Lincoln Park in Newark and saw Henderson engaging in a hand–to–hand drug transaction. Upon seeing the officers, Henderson ran through Lincoln Park, tossing a 9mm firearm loaded with 11 rounds of ammunition into the park. When the officers apprehended him at the corner of Broad and Pennington streets, they recovered quantities of cocaine and marijuana.

At sentencing, Gilbert faces potential penalties as follows:

    Count One (possession with intent to distribute) – maximum of 20 years in prison and a $1 million fine.

    Count Two (possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking offense) – minimum of 5 years in prison, maximum of life in prison, and a $250,000 fine; sentence to run consecutively to any other sentence

    Count Three (unlawful possession of a firearm by a convicted felon) – maximum of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine,).

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Donald J. Soranno; and the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Police Director Samuel A. DeMaio and Chief Sheilah A. Coley, for the investigation leading to today’s conviction.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dara A. Govan and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney James Donnelly of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Organized Crime/Gang Crime Unit in Newark.