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Davon Harley, 30, of Neptune City, was arguing with a group in the yard of a local apartment complex this past February when city police arrived, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito said.
Harley ran when he saw them, he said.
Asbury Park and Neptune Township police joined a foot chase that ended when officers captured Harley and found a gun and magazine that he’d discarded, Carpenito said.
The weapon “had been altered to fire exclusively in fully automatic mode,” the U.S. attorney said, adding that the magazine held 22 rounds and was capable of holding 31.
Harley took a deal from the government, pleading guilty during a videoconference with U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan in Newark to being a felon in possession of a firearm and unlawful possession of a machine gun .
Sheridan scheduled sentencing for April 12.
Carpenito credited special agents of the ATF’s Trenton Field Office, police from Neptune City, Neptune Township and Asbury Park, and the Monmouth County prosecutor’s and sheriff’s offices with the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
Handling the case for the government is Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Matthews of Carpenito’s Criminal Division in Trenton.
The case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s “signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws,” Carpenito said.
PROJECT GUARDIAN: https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian
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