A Union County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 84 months in prison for gun trafficking offenses, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced.
Federal officials said Mark Hernandez, aka “Skrap,” 26, of Rahway, New Jersey, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to a three-count information charging him with conspiracy to unlawfully deal in firearms, unlawfully dealing in firearms, and possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.
Judge Cecchi imposed the sentence in Newark federal court.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
From December 2019 through June 2020, Hernandez and his conspirators, Clifford Behler, 43, and Francis Zyla, 56, unlawfully distributed more than two dozen firearms – including shotguns, rifles, and firearms capable of accepting large-capacity magazines – in and around Elizabeth, New Jersey.
Hernandez unlawfully obtained several of those guns and supplied them to his conspirators for redistribution.
Hernandez was previously convicted of unlawful possession of a handgun in New Jersey Superior Court and is prohibited from possessing firearms and ammunition under federal law.
In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Hernandez to three years of supervised release.
Behler previously pleaded guilty to a three-count information charging him with narcotics and firearms offenses, and was sentenced to a 60-month term of imprisonment in December 2021.
The case against Zyla is still pending. The charges against him are merely accusations, and he is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.