Newark Man Caught With ‘Machinegun’ Used In Multiple Shooting: Feds

NEWARK, NJ — An accused gang member made his initial court appearance on firearms charges related to the shooting of multiple victims in Newark, federal prosecutors announced Thursday.

Munir Muhammad, 19, of Newark, was charged with possession of a machinegun and possession of an unregistered firearm. He appeared in court and was detained, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.

Prosecutors released the following statement about the accusations against Muhammad:

“Since 2021, law enforcement officers have been investigating a series of retaliatory shootings between rival neighborhoods in Newark involving individuals in the area of Clinton Place and Weequahic Avenue, which is known on the street as ‘Cake Block.’ These individuals are aligned with others who operate in the area of Vorhees Street and individuals who operate around the Bradley Court Housing Complex. Muhammad is a member and associate of this neighborhood street gang. He and his fellow gang members have committed numerous shootings that targeted individuals who operate in the area of the Oscar Miles Housing Complex and Goodwin Avenue.”

Prosecutors continued:

“On April 8, 2023, law enforcement officers responded to a shooting in the area of the Oscar Miles Housing Complex and discovered three shooting victims, one of whom remains in critical condition. On April 12, 2023, after the investigation identified Muhammad as a primary suspect in the shooting, law enforcement arrested Muhammad while he was in possession of a 9mm handgun equipped with a machinegun conversion device and loaded with 30 rounds of ammunition in an extended magazine. A subsequent ballistics analysis of the machinegun confirmed that the machinegun fired 28 rounds during the April 8, 2023, shooting at the Oscar Miles Housing Complex.”

The charge of possession of a machinegun carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The charge of possession of an unregistered firearm carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $10,000 fine, prosecutors said.

The case is part of the Violent Crime Initiative (VCI) in Newark. The VCI was formed in August 2017 by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, and the City of Newark’s Department of Public Safety to combat violent crime in and around the city.

The VCI is composed of the U.S. Attorney’s Office, the FBI, the ATF, the DEA New Jersey Division, the U.S. Marshals, the Newark Department of Public Safety, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office, the Essex County Sheriff’s Office, N.J. State Board of Parole, Union County Jail, N.J. State Police Regional Operations and Intelligence Center/Real Time Crime Center, N.J. Department of Corrections, the East Orange Police Department, and the Irvington Police Department.

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