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Press Release

Salem County Man Charged with Possession of Ammunition by Convicted Felon

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey

CAMDEN, N.J. – A Salem County man made his initial appearance today on charges of illegally possessing ammunition, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig announced.

Sharif Hallman, 38, of Carneys Point, New Jersey, is charged by complaint with one count of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon. He appeared by videoconference before U.S. Magistrate Judge Karen M. Williams and was detained.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On March 7, 2021, Penns Grove and Carneys Point police officers responded to an apartment complex in Carneys Point in response to a 911 call reporting a shooting. Officers encountered Hallman, a 13-time convicted felon, with a bicycle. Additional information from dispatchers reported that the suspected shooter was on a bike. Officers attempted to detain Hallman. A pistol became dislodged from Hallman and landed on the ground. The pistol had one round in the chamber, and an extended magazine containing another 22 rounds of ammunition. 

The felon in possession of ammunition charge carries a maximum penalty of 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

This case is part of Project Guardian, the Department of Justice’s signature initiative to reduce gun violence and enforce federal firearms laws. Initiated by the Attorney General in the fall of 2019, Project Guardian draws upon the Department’s past successful programs to reduce gun violence; enhances coordination of federal, state, local and tribal authorities in investigating and prosecuting gun crimes; improves information sharing by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives when a prohibited individual attempts to purchase a firearm and is denied by the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS), to include taking appropriate actions when a prospective purchaser is denied by the NICS for mental health reasons; and ensured that federal resources are directed at the criminals posing the greatest threat to our communities. For more information about Project Guardian, please see https://www.justice.gov/projectguardian.

Acting U.S. Attorney Honig credited special agents of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, Camden Field Office, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Craig B. Kailimai in Newark; officers of the Penns Grove Police Department, under the direction of Officer in Charge Lt. Jason G. Spera; officers of the Carneys Point Police Department, under the direction of Chief of Police Dale VanNamee; and the Salem County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor John T. Lenahan, with the investigation leading to the charges.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden.

The charge and allegation contained in the complaint is merely an accusation, and the defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

Updated April 28, 2021

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Project Guardian
Press Release Number: 21-169