Drugs And Weapons Found In NJ Home, Man Faces Many Charges

A 33-year-old man has been arrested, and is facing more than two dozen charges after police found an arsenal and illegal drugs from his home.

Erik Vandevelde, a resident of Landing in Roxbury Township, was arrested on June 8 after authorities seized several firearms, over 100,000 rounds of ammunition and 100 high-capacity magazines, Morris County Prosecutor Robert Carroll said.

Among the collected weapons, there were what prosecutors described as four assault-style firearms, two rifles, two shotguns, two handguns, a revolver, a pistol and two air rifles. The response team, which consisted of the members of the U.S. Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, also recovered LSD, psilocybin mushrooms, ketamine and more than 6 ounces of marijuana.

According to Carroll, Chief of Detectives Christoph Kimker and Roxbury Police Chief Dean Adone, who jointly confirmed Vandevelde's arrest and charges said that the law enforcement received information that led to the investigation and subsequent search of Vandevelde's residence on June 8. Prosecutor Carroll specifically commended the involved agencies for their professionalism and strategic coordination, which resulted in the seizure of these illegal and lethal firearms.

Vandevelde was charged with 14 counts of second-degree unlawful possession of a weapon. He is also facing a variety of other illegal weapons and drug charges. These include four counts of unlawful possession of a weapon (assault firearm) in the second degree, prohibited devices (high-capacity magazines) in the fourth degree, one count of certain person not to have ammunition in the fourth degree, possession of firearms while committing certain drug crimes in the second degree, possession with intent to distribute LSD in the first degree, possession of a controlled dangerous substance (LSD) in the third degree, disorderly person possession of a controlled dangerous substance (psilocybin mushrooms), possession of a controlled dangerous substance (ketamine) in the third degree and one count of possession of over 6 ounces of marijuana in the fourth degree.

There is no further information available for release at this time. Also, attorney information for Vandevelde was not immediately known. Despite this accusation, the defendant is presumed innocent unless or until proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in a court of law.