Thomas Massenburg, 19, of Jamaica, Queens, was driving a Honda Accord approached at the Wall Street West development on Tuesday by police who noticed that it had an expired temporary plate, Detective Lt. Vincent Auteri said.
Smelling a strong odor of raw marijuana, Lt. Paul Haggerty looked inside and spotted a small box on the passenger-side floor that contained a .380-caliber handgun, Auteri said.
Massenburg remained held Wednesday in the Bergen County Jail pending a first appearance in Central Judicial Processing Court in Hackensack on a charge of unlawful possession of a handgun without a permit.
Auteri thanked Rutherford and East Rutherford police for their assistance.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Fort Lee and receive free news updates.