NEW YORK (1010 WINS) — A Florida man was indicted for allegedly bringing two suitcases filled with a large cache of weapons to New Jersey, leaving one at Newark Penn Station and having another aboard an Amtrak train to Virginia, New Jersey Attorney General Matthew Platkin announced Wednesday.
Jeffrey Kennerk, 34, is facing a 16-count indictment charging him with aggravated assault, endangering others and a slew of weapons charges that include possession of assault weapons, large capacity magazines, handguns, silencers and an allegedly booby-trapped rifle that fired during his arrest.
Prosecutors said that just before 3 p.m. on Jan. 3, an NJ Transit police officer noticed an unattended black-and-white zebra print suitcase sitting in front of a McDonald’s next to the entrance to Newark Penn Station.
A K-9 unit arrived, cleared the suitcase for explosives and law enforcement opened it to discover a large amalgamation of guns and ammunition.
Camera footage at the train station showed a man, allegedly Kennerk, leaving the zebra print suitcase behind and walking to the Amtrak ticket window with a dark-colored maroon suitcase before boarding a train bound for Virginia.
Two officers boarded the Amtrak train when it arrived at its next stop, the Trenton Transit Center. Prosecutors said that Kennerk showed the officers a ticket for the wrong train, stating he boarded the wrong one, and they directed him to wait for the next one.
While Kennerk was about to board the next train, the officers were notified about a person of interest wanted for weapons possession in Newark, and arrested him before he could leave.
Police searched his suitcase and allegedly found a stash of weapons, ammunition and attachments, including a rifle loaded with .300 AAC Blackout ammunition that had multiple handkerchiefs wrapped around its trigger guard.
Prosecutors said that an officer placed the muzzle of the rifle into the suitcase, pointed at the ground, and attempted to remove one of the handkerchiefs to render it safe. While doing this the rifle discharged without the officer touching the trigger, “indicating that the gun was allegedly booby-trapped,” the attorney general’s office said.
“The collective actions of law enforcement eliminated the possible carnage that could have been caused by the weapons involved in this case,” NJ Transit Police Chief Christopher Trucillo said.
Kennerk, of Fort Lauderdale, faces 10 second-degree charges and six fourth-degree charges. If convicted, second-degree charges carry a sentence of five to 10 years in state prison and a fine of up to $150,000, while fourth-degree charges carry an 18-month sentence and up to $10,000 fine.