Defiant Bellmawr Gym Owner Faces New Charges, Police Say

CINNAMINSON TOWNSHIP, NJ — Ian Smith, the Camden County gym owner who gained national attention for resisting state orders to shut down amid the COVID-19 pandemic, was again charged Sunday with drunk driving, the Cinnaminson Police Chief told Patch.

Smith previously spent five years in prison for killing a Galloway teenager after driving the morning after a night of drinking.

On Sunday, Smith was charged with driving under the influence, refusing to take a breath test, reckless driving, careless driving, failure to observe marked traffic lanes and delaying traffic, according to the police.

Speaking on Instagram of the accident that led to his incarceration, Smith said no one "explained the dangers" of driving with alcohol still in your system to him.

Smith and gym co-owner Frank Trumbetti gained national fame when they chose not to follow a mandate from Gov. Murphy that ordered all gyms and many other small businesses closed in the first six months of the pandemic.

Smith and Trumbetti continually kept reopening Atilis Gym. Both men were arrested in July 2020 and charged with fourth-degree contempt and obstruction and violation of a disaster control act.

When the coronavirus pandemic began in late March of 2020, then-President Donald Trump ordered a two-week national shutdown and stay-at-home orders. After those two weeks, other states allowed private businesses to reopen while in New Jersey, Gov. Murphy ordered nearly all retail businesses to remain closed, except for those deemed essential, such as groceries and big-box stores like Walmart. Small businesses, such as hair salons, day cares, retail boutiques, restaurants, bars and gyms, were not allowed to reopen.

Gyms were actually one of the last businesses allowed to reopen in New Jersey: They were forced to close in late March and allowed to fully reopen Sept. 1, albeit at 25 percent capacity limits. Prior to that, they had been allowed to open only for personal training.

At the time, Smith said he was standing up for constitutional rights and struggling small businesses all over the world.

"We don't need the government to tell us what we can and can't do," Smith previously said at reopen NJ rally in the spring of 2020. "We need a government that protects our rights and doesn't make exceptions."

Political Aspirations

Smith chose to parlay his newfound fame into a run for office when he decided to enter the race for U.S. House against Rep. Andy Kim.

"I am truly excited to have the possibility to serve the people of NJ with a platform focused on liberty, small government, and America First policies," Smith said at the time.

Previous Offense

This is not the first time Smith has chosen to get behind the wheel of a car while drinking. In 2008, when he was 20 years old, Smith was convicted and sentenced to more than five years in prison for causing a drunk driving crash that killed a Galloway teenager. He ran a stop sign and killed 19-year-old Kevin Ade.

"This is something I've been public about my whole life. I've never run from it, nor would I ever," Smith said in the video. "It's something I accept full responsibility for, and for anybody out there who hates me, I think you are completely justified in doing so."

Saying he wanted to set the details straight, Smith went on to discuss how he woke up after a night of drinking in his dorm room and got in his car.

"Moments later, I was the sole cause of a motor vehicle accident that took the life of a young man named Kevin," Smith said. "When I awoke that morning, I didn't realize there was still alcohol in my system. Being a 20-year-old kid, no one ever explained those dangers."

Smith is due to appear in court mid-April.

This post contains reporting by Carly Baldwin and Anthony Bellano.