Newark Man Sentenced for Role in Stealing Numerous Firearms
Published on October 31, 2023
Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, Sheriff James Gannon, and Montville Police Chief Andrew Caggiano announce that Luis Martinez, 35, formerly of Newark, New Jersey, has been sentenced to 11 years in New Jersey State Prison for the theft and possession of numerous firearms.
On January 6, 2023, Martinez and others burglarized the FSS Armory store in the Pine Brook section of Montville and stole approximately 20 guns from the business. Martinez was identified as a suspect through a combination of law enforcement efforts, which included electronic surveillance, DNA, and other technological capabilities.
During Martinez’s guilty plea on October 13, 2023, presided over by the Honorable Claudia Jones, J.S.C., Martinez admitted to arriving at FSS Armory in a stolen motor vehicle during the early morning hours of January 6, 2023. Martinez admitted that he and others broke into the gun store, stole the guns, and then loaded the guns into the trunk of the stolen vehicle and fled the area.
On October 27, 2023, the Honorable Claudia Jones, J.S.C., sentenced Martinez to 11 years in prison, 5 1/2 years of which he must serve before becoming eligible for parole.
Senior Assistant Prosecutor Erin Callahan represented the State at sentencing.
On September 14, 2023, Leila Acevedo, was identified and charged as part of the investigation. Acevedo was charged with conspiracy, burglary, and gun possession charges.
The investigation remains ongoing to identify three other co-conspirators who were present but who have yet to be identified.
Prosecutor Carroll thanks the tireless efforts of law enforcement, which continues to this day, and specifically acknowledge the efforts of Montville Detective Keith Donnelly, detectives from the Morris County Prosecutor’s Office’s Intelligence Unit, special agents from the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, and the Morris County Sheriff’s Office’s Crime Scene Investigation Unit who all contributed to the successful investigation and prosecution of this incident.
Prosecutor Carroll said, “I am joined by Chief McNally, Chief Caggiano and Sheriff Gannon in stating that the burglary of a firearms store is a priority for all law enforcement as preventing firearms from falling into the hands of criminals is an absolute necessity for protecting our citizens from the later use of stolen deadly weapons to commit other crimes. This investigation was tenaciously pursued by the involved Local, County and Federal law enforcement, and we will continue our coordinated efforts to locate all of the involved subjects.”
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