Denville Man Arrested for Unlawful Sale, Possession Defaced Firearms
Published on February 21, 2024
Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally and Denville Chief of Police Frank Perna, announce the arrest of Robert H. Klaar, 54, of Denville, on charges related to the unlawful sale and possession of firearms.
Klaar is alleged to have sold a defaced shotgun during January 2024 in Denville, NJ. During the subsequent execution of a search warrant on Klaar’s residence in Denville, approximately seventeen firearms which consisted of rifles and handguns were seized. Officers also seized two firearm silencers and observed evidence of Klaar’s manufacturing of these prohibited devices, including assembly manuals. $17,000 in currency, high-capacity magazines, numerous rounds of hollow point ammunition, approximately two pounds of marijuana, and drug paraphernalia were also seized. Klaar was taken into custody following a motor vehicle stop on February 6, 2024, by members of the Special Enforcement Unit and Denville Police Department.
Klaar was charged with:
- Possession of Firearms While in the Course of Committing a CDS Crime, in violation of N.J.S. 2C:39-4.2, a crime of the second degree.
- Possession of CDS with Intent to Distribute, in violation of N.J.S. 2C:35-5b(11)(a), a crime of the third degree.
- Possession of a Loaded Rifle, in violation of N.J.S. 2C:39-5(c)(2), a crime of the third degree.
- Conspiracy to Deface Firearms, in violation of N.J.S. 2C:35-5-2 and 2C:39-9(e) a crime of the third degree.
- Money Laundering, in violation of N.J.S. 2C:21-25(a), a crime of the third degree.
- Defacing of Firearms, in violation of N.J.S. 2C:39-9(e), a crime of the third degree.
- Possession of a Defaced Firearm, in violation of N.J.S. 2C:39-3(d), a crime of the fourth degree.
- Unlawful Possession of CDS, in violation of N.J.S. 2C:35-10a(3)(b), a crime of the fourth degree.
- Manufacture, Transport, and Disposition of Firearm Silencers, in violation of N.J.S. 2C:39-9(c), a crime of the fourth degree.
- Unlawful Distribution of a Defaced Firearm, in violation of N.J.S. 2C:39-9(e), a crime of the fourth degree.
The defendant has been released under pre-trial supervision with conditions.
Prosecutor Carroll would like to thank the following agencies for their hard work and dedication during this investigation; The Morris County Prosecutor’s Office Special Enforcement Unit, consisting of the Roxbury Township Police Department, the Town of Boonton Police Department, and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office, along with the Denville Police Department, the Office of the Insurance Fraud Prosecutor under the NJ Attorney General’s Office, Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms (BATF) and its taskforce officers, which include Immigration and Customs Enforcement specifically, the office of ERO under the supervision of Field Office Director John Tsoukaris.
A criminal complaint is merely an accusation. Despite these accusations, the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law. In accordance with state law, the defendant’s arrest photograph will not be released.
Media inquiries concerning this press release should be directed to [email protected].