A pair of South Carolina men have been arrested and charged with various weapons offenses for allegedly seeking to sell firearms in Rahway, acting Union County Prosecutor Grace H. Park announced Thursday.
Luther Garner, 50, and Samuel McKenith, 59, were apprehended following an investigation by the Prosecutor’s Office’s Guns, Gangs, Drugs, and Violent Crimes Task Force.
Members of the Task Force, assisted by members of the Rahway and Summit police departments, arrested Garner in Rahway on Sunday, July 16, at which time three handguns, a revolver, and a 30-round magazine were seized. Members of the United States Marshals Services subsequently arrested McKenith at his home in Aynor, South Carolina without incident on Wednesday, July 26.
Both defendants are charged with second-degree unlawful possession of a handgun (Garner charged with three counts, McKenith with one count), second-degree certain persons not to have weapons, and fourth-degree transporting a firearm to sell it.
Garner is additionally charged with second-degree illegal transportation of a firearm, fourth-degree possession of a high-capacity magazine, and fourth-degree receiving stolen property, while McKenith is additionally charged with fourth-degree possession of hollow-point bullets.
Anyone with additional information about the activities of these defendants is being urged to contact Task Force Detective Filipe Afonso at 908-603-7116.
Convictions on second-degree criminal charges are commonly punishable by 5 to 10 years in state prison.
These criminal charges are mere accusations. Each defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.