Ex-NJ Police Officer Pleads Guilty In Weapons Case

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) -- Prosecutors say a retired police officer will be heading to state prison after he admitted having several assault rifles and illegal ammunition magazines at his southern New Jersey home.

Brian Hinkel faces five years in state prison after pleading guilty this week to four counts of possessing an assault rifle and 21 counts of possession of a prohibited device, which authorities say were illegal large-capacity ammunition magazines.

The 62-year-old Newfield man, who served on the Vineland force, faces a five-year term when he's sentenced June 1.

Hinkel was arrested in January 2009, when state police went to his home to question him in an unrelated investigation and found numerous firearms in plain view. They later executed a search warrant at the four-acre site and discovered hundreds of guns.

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