Annapolis Car Dealer 'Jack' Antwerpen Arrested on Yacht in NYC

ANNAPOLIS, MD — Jacob “Jack” Antwerpen of Annapolis, owner of several Maryland car dealerships, was arrested on his yacht in New York on gun charges, authorities say.

Antwerpen, his wife and daughter were on board his 110-foot yacht, named YES, on the East River last week. The family was on the way to Boston July 27 when the Coast Guard stopped Antwerpen for a routine safety inspection.

The New York Post reports Antwerpen was arrested after officials found a cache of unlicensed weapons in a locked vault under the yacht’s deck. Police seized a handgun, rifle and two shotguns from the boat.

Antwerpen had an expired carry permit, according to New York Police Department spokesman Sgt. Brendan Ryan. The businessman was detained and then issued a ticket to appear, and released.

"He was a gentleman, and acknowledged that there were firearms on board, and acknowledged that they were his firearms," Ryan told The Baltimore Sun.

According to his company website, Antwerpen owns Hyundai dealerships in Catonsville, Silver Spring and Rockville; a Chrysler and Jeep dealership in Baltimore; Nissan dealerships in Owings Mills and Baltimore; a Volkswagen dealership in Pasadena; and has a Clarksville location that sells Hyundai, Nissan and Toyota vehicles.

Antwerpen Automotive is billed as the No. 1 volume dealer in all of Maryland, as well as the entire Baltimore/Washington, D.C., region.

»Image of auto dealer "Jack" Antwerpen from a YouTube video posted by Anterwepen Automotive