Federal Charges Filed Against Millstone Gun Owner

John Lafergolo, 52, of Millstone appeared in federal court in Trenton this morning on charges that he possessed 36 machine guns, which are illegal to possess in the United States, according to a state by U.S. Attorney Paul Fishman’s Office.

Lafergola was arrested at his Millstone home following a domestic violence incident on October 5, 2014.

According to the 2014 complaints Lafergola pointed a black 5.7X28mm Fabrique Nationale Herstal handgun model Five Seven at the victim. It is alleged that while Lafergola was pointing the handgun at the victim, he stated “I’ll blow your f***ing brain’s out”.

Through the course of the investigation into the incident, Lafergola was found to be in possession of a black firearm silencer, twenty (20) high capacity magazines and forty (40) fully automatic machine guns (without a license).

Lafergola was charged in 2014 with (1) 3rd Degree Terroristic Threats, (1) 4th Degree Aggravated Assault, (1) 4th Degree Possession of Prohibited Weapons ot Devices, Silencer, (20) 4th Degree Possession of Prohibited Weapons or Devices, High Capacity Magazine–each magazine is a separate criminal charge–, (40) 3rd Degree Unlawful Possession of Weapons, Machine Guns–each machine gun is a separate criminal charge.

He was held on $3,877,500.00 full bail at the Monmouth County Correctional Institution in Freehold.

The federal charges today stem from the same 2014 incident.

The federal complaint states that Lafergolo knowingly possessed machine guns, defined as a weapon that can shoot automatically more than one shot, without manual reloading, by a single function of the trigger.

Lafergola possessed 72 firearms – including 36 machine guns – and dozens of firearms components, ammunition, accessories, and manufacturing tools. Of those 36 machine guns, 13 were found to be operational as automatic weapons, each of which was found to have been assembled out of separate components, including a machine gun receiver of unknown origin, including:

• A 9 mm Luger caliber, FBP M948-type firearm, 31 ½ inches long, bearing no serial number nor manufacturer’s marks of identification;

• A 9 mm Luger caliber, Suomi M31-type firearm, 34 inches long, and bearing no manufacturer’s marks of identification;

• A 7.62×25 mm caliber, M56-type firearm, 34 ½ long, bearing no serial number nor manufacturer’s marks of identification.

Lafergola also was found to be in possession of three short-barreled rifles, including one that had an obliterated serial number; two silencers; and items determined by local law enforcement to be non-smoke gunpowder, fuses, other materials that could be used to make explosive devices, and explosive devices.

Lafergolo’s attorney, Evan Nappen of Eatontown, told The Asbury Park Press Lafergolo is a hobbyist that the guns are non-functioning.

“These are historical items and they’re not functioning,” he said. “And you can readily buy these parts kits from companies like Sarco and they’re right in eastern Pennsylvania. They sell plenty of these kits. And you can build non-working dummies of these military models.”

“Well he also had regular firearms that he lawfully had a firearms ID card and licenses for,” Nappen said. “He enjoyed recreational shooting just like tens of thousands of other New Jerseyans.”

Lafergolo is now being held without bail at MCCI on a U.S. Marshall’s Service Agency Hold.