North Jersey Man In Knife Attack Sentenced To 5 Years

WANAQUE, NJ - A Passaic County man who lunged with a knife at a victim during a domestic dispute in 2021 was sentenced to five years in state prison on Wednesday, authorities said.

Michael Wierciszewski, 25, of Wanaque, was sentenced after pleading guilty in December to second degree possession of an assault rifle, third degree possession of a destructive device and third degree aggravated assault, Passaic County Prosecutor Camelia M. Valdes said in a statement.

The charges stem from a Nov. 24, 2021 incident at a Wanaque residence in the area of Jackson Street and Whistler Place in which an anonymous victim reported that Mr. Wierciszewski lunged at him/her with a knife while threatening to kill him or her, Valdes said.

At the scene, police found a Century Arms RAS 47 rifle that had been modified to remove the stock and accommodate a silencer, as well as a pipe bomb, Valdes said.

After analysis by the New Jersey State Police Ballistics Unit, the RAS 47 was determined to be an assault rifle; the pipe bomb was analyzed by the Passaic County Sheriff's Office Bomb Squad and FBI members and determined to be a destructive device, Valdes added.

The Passaic man's sentencing is subject to the Graves Act, which requires individuals convicted of unlawful firearm possession to serve for 42 months before becoming eligible for parole.