Mercer County Man Convicted of Trafficking Firearms

Darryl Spears, 25, was found guilty by a Mercer County jury yesterday for illegally selling a semi-automatic handgun during a New Jersey State Police undercover investigation.

Spears was convicted of all charges against him, including unlawful possession of a firearm and possession of a firearm as a convicted felon, both second-degree offenses, as well as fourth-degree unlawful disposition of a firearm, according to the New Jersey Office of the Attorney General.

During the course of the trial evidence revealed that Spears also illegally sold a 9mm semi-automatic handgun for $500 during the NJSP’s undercover investigation, the attorney general’s office said in a news release.

The second-degree convictions carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a mandatory parole ineligibility period of five years on the charge of possession of a weapon as a convicted felon. Additionally, Spears has a prior conviction which makes him eligible for an extended-term sentence, which the state will be seeking, according to the attorney general’s office.