Man sentenced to 12 years in prison for involvement in Newark shootings, drug trafficking

Newark

By: Tracie Carter

Antoine Hawkins was sentenced to 144 months in prison for his involvement in two shootings, illegal possession of a handgun and intent to distribute heroin, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced Friday.

Federal officials said Hawkins, 31, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Katharine S. Hayden to charges including two counts of possession of ammunition by a convicted felon, possession of 'a firearm and ammunition by a convicted felon, and possession with intent. to distribute heroin and possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime.

Judge Hayden handed down the sentence in federal court in Newark.

Details of the case, as revealed by court documents and statements, describe a series of disturbing events.

On August 18, 2020, video surveillance captured Hawkins firing a gun on a Newark street, striking one victim who survived.

Hawkins was also identified as the shooter in another incident in Newark on August 13, 2020, with ballistic evidence linking shell casings from the two scenes.

Law enforcement apprehended Hawkins on September 16, 2020, after observing a firearm in his jacket.

A search revealed a 9-millimeter pistol loaded with an extended magazine containing 19 rounds.

A subsequent search warrant executed at Hawkins' residence discovered, among other things, 626 glass envelopes containing heroin and three 9-millimeter magazines.

In addition to his prison sentence, Hawkins was sentenced to three years of supervised release, reflecting the seriousness of his crimes and their impact on community safety.