Man Found Guilty Of Shooting Out Mahwah Polo Club Lights

MAHWAH, NJ — An associate of the Ramapough Lenape Nation was fond guilty in Superior Court of vandalizing property at the Ramapo Polo Club in 2017.

Harold Molt Jr. was found guilty of all charges filed against him, including possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and destruction of evidence, Mahwah police Chief Stephen Jaffe confirmed.

Molt is not a member of the Raampaough tribe, but was a friend and visited them often, NorthJersey.com reported. He was remanded to the Bergen County Jail after the guilty verdict was announced.

Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 16, Jaffe said. Molt could face five to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison and must possibly serve a minimum of 42 months before being eligible for parole, Jaffe said.

Molt was arrested after a police investigation that began after someone used birdshot and a shotgun to shoot out two historical street lights that illuminated a bridge and no parking and other signs along 95 Halifax Road, police said shortly after Molt's arrest in 2017. The damage was in excess of $5,000. The club's homeowners association reported the damage to police.

Related: Man Arrested After Mahwah Polo Club Signs, Street Lights Shot Out

At the time, police said they thought Molt threw various pieces of evidence into the Ramapo River, which the Mahwah Fire Department's Evidence Recovery Team recovered. One of the charges Molt was found guilty of was destruction of evidence.

Molt's arrest came at a time of delicate relations between the town and the Ramapoughs. The sides were locked in a legal battle regarding the tribe's use of their property as a campground and prayer site. The town said the tribe's use of tepees and other Native American structures on the land violated local zoning laws. The sides settled in May.

Email: daniel.hubbard@patch.com