Salvadoran from Long Branch charged by feds with carrying guns following gunfire incident
A Salvadoran man last living in Long Branch has been arrested and charged with possessing firearms as an undocumented alien and detained, federal authorities said..
Jose Manuel Menjivar Viera, 35, was initially arrested by Long Branch police following a gunfire incident in the city on Dec. 11.
At 3 a.m. that Wednesday, several 911 callers reported shots being fired in an unidentified neighborhood.
Police arriving at the scene saw a man riding a bicycle and carrying a large black bag. He appeared to be struggling to pedal the bike because of the size and weight of the bag, according to the federal complaint.
When officers pursued him, the man later identified as Menjivar Viera dropped the bike and bag and fled. When police found the bag, they saw the butt of a rifle sticking out of it, the complaint said.
Inside the bag there were two firearms, an Anderson AM-15 semi-automatic rifle and a loaded Walther P-22 semi-automatic pistol, as well as firearm magazines, ammunition and a machete, the complaint said. Police at the scene said the AM-15 smelled like it had just been fired, a U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement investigator said in an affidavit.
Police searched the property where Menjivar Viera was last seen. They found him hiding in the bed of a pickup truck next door, according to the complaint.
Menjivar Viera admitted to police to carrying the bag, saying he was transporting it for a person who told him to bring it to a third individual, according to the complaint. He also told police he left El Salvador and came to the Unites States two years prior.
Following an investigation by ICE that included verifying Menjivar Viera's identity with, and obtaining his fingerprints from, the U.S. Embassy in El Salvador, he was arrested by federal agents May 16 when he also made his first court appearance. according to court records.
His attorney, a federal public defender, did not immediately return a call.
The charge he faces carries a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.
Ken Serrano covers crime, breaking news and investigations. Reach him at 732-643-4029 or kserrano@gannettnj.com.
This article originally appeared on Asbury Park Press: Long Branch Salvadoran man charged by feds with possession of guns
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