NJ Man With Grenade Launcher, Arsenal Gets 62 Month Prison Sentence

NORTH JERSEY — A Sussex County man who owned a plethora of weapons included a grenade launcher, was sentenced on Tuesday to 62 months in prison.

New Jersey State Police first discovered Joseph Rubino, 59, of Lafayette had an arsenal after he was in a car accident on July 24, 2019, with several weapons found in his vehicle that day, Acting U.S. Attorney Rachael A. Honig said.

RELATED: Sussex County Man Admits He Had Arsenal After Felony Conviction

According to the original news release from 2019, the U.S. Attorney's Office first charged Rubino in August 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 found to have 7 kilograms of marijuana and 200 marijuana vape cartridges at his home.

Although it was first mentioned he also had items described as "white supremacist and racist propaganda," including things with neo-Nazi symbols and references to slavery, he was not charged for having them.

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:

• 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 was sentenced for marijuana possession and keeping an arsenal.

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.

U.S. District Judge William J. Martini, who accepted Rubino’s guilty plea in August, handed down the sentence, for possession of firearms and ammunition charges, while he already had a felony conviction. Rubino additionally pleaded guilty to possessing marijuana with the intent to distribute it.

The charge of marijuana possession with the intent to distribute has a maximum penalty of five years in prison or up to a $250,000 fine, with the maximum for the firearms charges up to a 10-year prison sentence and $250,000 fine.

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