A Newark man, previously convicted of multiple felonies, admitted today to being a felon in possession of a firearm, possessing narcotics with intent to distribute, and possessing the firearm in furtherance of narcotics trafficking, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.
According to Acting U.S. Attorney Honig, Lamont West, 42, pleaded guilty to an Indictment charging him with one count of possession of a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, one count of possession with intent to distribute heroin and fentanyl, and one count of using the firearm in furtherance of the narcotics trafficking.
According to documents filed in this case and the statements made in court:
On October 17, 2016, officers of the Newark Police Department received a tip that West, who was wanted by the police in connection with an unrelated alleged shooting, was hiding out at a hotel in Harrison.
The officers placed West under arrest outside of the hotel and obtained a search warrant for the room in which he was staying.
Inside the room, the officers found a loaded .45 caliber semiautomatic pistol, two extra magazines containing additional ammunition, approximately 730 glassine envelopes of heroin mixed with fentanyl, digital scales and other drug paraphernalia, and multiple forms of identification and clothing belonging to West.
West has multiple prior state convictions for, among other things, narcotics trafficking.
Sentencing is scheduled for December 9.