Felon Who Hid Drugs In Underwear Convicted On Multiple Counts, Feds Say

JERSEY CITY, NJ — A judge convicted a Jersey City felon of possessing controlled substances and a loaded firearm after arresting him three times, officials said.

A federal judge convicted Clarence Gaffney, 36, of Jersey City on three counts of possession with intent to distribute controlled substances, and one count of possession of firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon.

Officials say Gaffney had heroin and cocaine "in his underwear and shoe" during a traffic stop Oct. 5, 2019. Law enforcement officers saw him selling drugs in December of 2019 and arrested him, finding heroin and cocaine in his jacket sleeve.

During a motor vehicle stop on Feb. 21, 2020, police searched his vehicle and found "heroin hidden in a fuse compartment on the driver’s side and a Glock 22 .40 caliber firearm loaded with 11 rounds of .40 caliber ammunition found inside a fuse compartment on the passenger side," Sellinger said.

Gaffney was convicted after a three-day trial before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton in Newark federal court, according to U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger.

The drug charges carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a maximum fine of $1 million each, Sellinger's office said. The maximum potential penalty for the firearms charge is 10 years in prison and a maximum fine of $250,000, according to Sellinger.

Sellinger said this investigation was conducted as part of the Jersey City Violent Crime Initiative.