Monmouth County Man Connected To Jersey City Shooting Faces Federal Weapons Charges

Ahmed A-Hady, 35, of Keyport, New Jersey, was arrested by the FBI early on Saturday morning and charged with being a convicted felon in possession of a firearm. He expected to appear on before U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph A. Dickson in Newark federal court on Monday, according to a statement by U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito.

A note found in the pants of the male suspect in the Jersey City mass shooting last week prompted federal authorities to investigate A-Hady who goes by the name Ed Him on social media.

According to the government’s complaint against A-Hady, law enforcement officers found a handwritten note in the pants of the male suspect in the Jersey City mass shooting on December 10 that included a phone number ending in 4115 and a Keyport address.

The shooting suspect, identified in the media as David N. Anderson, 47, died in the Jersey City gun battle.

FBI agents determined that the phone number belonged to A-Hady and that the Keyport address is a storefront pawnshop. A-Hady is the owner of Buy N Sell City, a business that trades in used electronics and jewelry with locations in Keyport and Freehold, according to the Ed Him facebook profile.

Law enforcement obtained records of A-Hady’s history of firearm purchases. Those records indicated that around May 23, 2007, A-Hady purchased a Smith and Wesson .45 caliber handgun bearing serial number NHN5284 (the “.45 caliber”). Records also indicate that on or about June 2, 2007, A-Hady purchased a Smith and Wesson .44 caliber handgun bearing serial number CEV4085 (the “.44 caliber”).

Subsequent to purchasing the firearms, A-Hady was convicted on April 2, 2012, in Monmouth County Superior Court, of attempting to obtain a controlled dangerous substance or analog by fraud, a crime punishable by more than one year in prison. As a result of that conviction, A-Hady is no longer permitted to possess a firearm.

On Friday evening law enforcement officers interviewed A-Hady at the Keyport pawnshop. He admitted to owning the Smith and Wesson guns but falsely denied they were on the premises. A relative of A-Hady told the investigators of a safe in the pawnshop that contained firearms, including the Smith and Wesson handguns.

The relative consented to a search and the investigators recovered a PK 380, a Ruger 9mm, and the Smith and Wesson .44 caliber handgun from the safe. A further search of the pawnshop and A-Hady’s residence led to the discovery of six rifles (including three AR-15-style assault rifles), three handguns. Over 400 rounds of ammunition, including a large number of hollow point bullets were also discovered.

The charge of being a previously convicted felon in possession of a firearm carries a maximum potential penalty of 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.