A Pennsylvania man allegedly brought AK-47s and AR-15 rifles in Pennsylvania and sold them in New Jersey, which has some of the country's strictest gun laws, authorities told NJ Advance Media.
Andrew Okie, from Tobyhanna, Pennsylvania, was charged with four counts of second-degree possession of an assault rifle and four counts of third-degree unlawful possession of a rifle, NJ Advance Media wrote.
He also was charged with four counts of third-degree illegal sale of a firearm, seven counts of fourth-degree sale of a high-capacity firearm magazine and seven counts of fourth-degree possession of a large-capacity firearm magazine, the website said.
Authorities took Okie, an electronics technician, into custody in Bergen County after he sold several of the weapons to an undercover detective posing as a buyer, acting Bergen County prosecutor Dennis Calo told NJ Advance Media.
Calo told the Hackensack Daily Voice that the undercover officer allegedly purchased numerous weapons, including one Century Arms AK-47 rifle, two Ruger AR-15 rifles, one American Tactical AR-15 rifle, seven high-capacity firearm magazines, and more than 100 rounds of ammunition.
A judge ordered Okie held in the Bergen County Jail pending a hearing Wednesday in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack, the Daily Voice said.
New Jersey Democratic Gov. Phil Murphy said this week that 77 percent of the guns used in crimes in New Jersey over the first quarter of 2018 came from other states, WHYY Radio reported.
"The most, 83, did not travel far," Murphy said, per WHYY. "They crossed the Delaware River from Pennsylvania. Gov. Tom Wolf is pushing his legislature and taking them to task for their failure to pass common sense gun safety laws and I applaud his efforts."
Last month, Murphy signed an executive order mandating the publication of information related to guns used in the commission of crimes statewide in an effort to increase public awareness about the effects of gun violence, said a statement from his office.
New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal attacked states like North Carolina and Georgia, charging that their "weak gun laws" have allowed weapons to come to the "streets of New Jersey," WHYY reported.
In February, the Association of New Jersey Rifle & Pistol Clubs announced it has filed suit in federal court against New Jersey for what it called "draconian restrictions" on carrying a handgun outside the home for self-defense.
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