Sussex County Man Admits He Had Arsenal After Felony Conviction

NORTH JERSEY — A Sussex County man with a felony history who continued to own plethora of weapons including a grenade launcher, pleaded guilty in Federal court to unlawfully possessing weapons and marijuana.

Joseph Rubino admitted to U.S. District Judge William J. Martini this past Thursday that he had been the owner of several weapons New Jersey State Police troopers found in his vehicle when he was in a car accident on July 24, 2019.

According to an original news release from 2019, the U.S. Attorney's Office first charged Rubino in Aug. 2019, with possessing the firearms and intent to distribute 70 grams of methamphetamine, which was not mentioned among his guilty plea with the court. In those initial charges, the U.S. Attorney's Office said he was initially found to have 7 kilograms of marijuana and 200 marijuana vape cartridges at his home.

Although he was also initially charged with having items described as "white supremacist and racist propaganda," including things with neo-Nazi symbols and references to slavery, those charges weren't mentioned in the latest news release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

After his accident, state police obtained more search warrants to look through Rubino’s home and car and found 2.5 kilograms of marijuana plus the following weapons, according to the latest news release from the U.S. Attorney’s Office on Thursday:

• An Intratec Arms Model TEC-DC9 semi-automatic assault handgun;
• A Cobray Arms Mac-11 9mm semi-automatic assault pistol with a high capacity magazine;
• A Keltec CMR30 .22 caliber semi-automatic rifle loaded with sixteen (16) .22 caliber hollow-point cartridges;
• A High Standard Derringer .22 caliber double-barrel handgun;
• A Polymer 80 9mm semi-automatic handgun;
• An Ithaca M-66 20-gauge single shotgun;
• A Remington Model 700 .223 caliber bold action rifle with scope;
• A Thompson Center .50 caliber muzzle-loading rifle with scope;
• A Remington Model 870 Wingmaster 12-gauge pump shotgun;
• A New England Firearms 20-gauge single shot shotgun;
• A Remington Model 760 .300 Savage pump rifle;
• A Glenfield Mod 60 .22 LR caliber semi-automatic rifle;
• Two sawed-off double-barrel shotgun barrels
• Several high-capacity magazines;
• Numerous silencers;
• An assault rifle scope;
• A grenade launcher;
• A ballistics vest; and
• Numerous additional ammunitions of various calibers

Rubino, 59, who is scheduled for sentencing on Dec. 14, could face up to $250,000 in fines or five years in prison for his marijuana possession count; and be fined up to $250,000 or spend a decade in prison for possession of firearms and ammunition by a convicted felon.

The Sussex and Warren County Prosecutor’s Offices, New Jersey State Police and special agents with the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, worked together on the case.

Questions or comments about this story? Have a news tip? Contact me at: jennifer.miller@patch.com.