Newark, N.J. – On Thursday, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced that Justin Pope, a 36-year-old resident of Clifton, New Jersey, has been charged with being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition.
An indictment was brought against Pope by a federal grand jury, accusing him of two counts of being a convicted felon in possession of ammunition. He was taken into custody on July 13, 2023, and the same two charges were filed against him through a complaint. Pope appeared before U.S. Magistrate James B. Clark III earlier this week and was remanded without bail.
According to official documents and statements presented in court, the incident occurred on July 12, 2023, when law enforcement responded to reports of gunfire in a public parking lot in Clifton, New Jersey. Surveillance footage revealed Pope engaged in an altercation with a female individual inside a vehicle. As the altercation escalated, Pope fired multiple gunshots at the victim from close range after she exited the vehicle.
The day after the incident, a video was discovered on one of Pope’s social media accounts showing him firing a gun into the air, accompanied by the statement, “Can’t find me . . . Police. Y’all never gonna find me.”
Shortly thereafter, law enforcement apprehended Pope in New York City as he tried to board a bus, during which he displayed a firearm to the bus employees. At the time of his arrest, a privately made 9mm firearm with a large capacity magazine was seized from Pope, loaded with one round of 9mm ammunition.
If convicted on the charges of being a felon in possession of ammunition, Pope could face a maximum sentence of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.