Ocean County authorities reported today that an Ocean County man was sentenced to 12 months and one day in prison for unlawfully possessing a privately manufactured short-barrel rifle, a silencer, and five imitation badges of various federal agencies federal officials announced.
Authorities reported Jeffrey Backlund, 57, of Waretown, previously pleaded guilty.
According to federal officials, Backlund pleaded guilty to an information charging him with unlawfully possessing firearms not registered in the National Firearms Register and Transfer Record and unlawful possession of an official badge or identification card.
Judge Sheridan imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court, officials say.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
On Sept. 6, 2020, after investigating a domestic disturbance, law enforcement executed a search warrant at Backlund’s residence and located several firearms and imitation federal identification badges.
Officials say, 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 Recundert to the National Firearms Act.
According to Union County officials, 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.
Officials say, all badges and identifications were imitations, and Backlund had no authority to possess any of them.
In addition to the prison term, officials say Judge Sheridan sentenced Backlund to three years of supervised release and fined him $5,000.