Today, an Ocean County man admitted unlawfully possessing a privately manufactured short barrel rifle, a silencer, and five imitation badges of various federal agencies, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
According to U.S. Attorney Sellinger, Jeffrey Backlund, 57, of Waretown, pleaded guilty to an information charging him with unlawfully possessing firearms that were not registered in the National Firearms Registration and Transfer Record and unlawful possession of an official badge or identification card.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On September 6, 2020, after investigating a domestic disturbance, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Backlund’s residence and located a number of firearms and imitation federal identification badges.
They found one short-barreled, AR-style, .223 caliber rifle bearing no serial number and no branding.
Attached to the rifle, they found a tan metal cylindrical device that law enforcement determined to be a silencer.
Given the physical characteristics of the rifle and silencer, Backlund was required to, but did not, register these items in the National Firearms Register and Transfer Record pursuant to the National Firearms Act.
Law enforcement officers also located two bi-fold wallets containing FBI Special Agent identification credentials bearing Backlund’s picture and personal information, a United States Marshals Service badge, a Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives Special Agent badge, and a Drug Enforcement Administration Special Agent badge.
All badges and identifications were imitation and Backlund did not have the authority to possess any of them.