Essex County Man Charged with Illegally Possessing Two Handguns and Drugs

 NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man with a felony record made his initial court appearance today on charges of carrying two loaded handguns and a quantity of heroin and cocaine, U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced today.

Brandon Jacobs, 30, of Newark, is charged by complaint 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. He appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge Cathy L. Waldor and was detained.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Jacobs, who was convicted of a felony in 2017, was arrested on Jan. 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 6^th Street in Newark. Police located the vehicle, with Jacobs in the driver’s seat and one passenger. Police found the loaded 9 mm semi-automatic handgun in his left coat pocket and the loaded revolver in his right coat pocket. Jacobs was also in possession of 35 glassine envelopes of heroin, 73 glass vials containing suspected crack cocaine and $688 in cash. Also, there was a loaded shotgun in the front seat area of the vehicle.

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.         

Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig credited special agents of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, under the direction of Supervisory Special Agent Thomas J. Mahoney, and officers with the Newark Police Department, under the direction of Public Safety Director Brian O’Hara, with the investigation leading to the arrest.

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.