The attorneys for John Cramsey, of Zionsville, 53-year-old Dean Smith, of Whitehall, and 29-year-old Kimberly Arendt, of Lehighton, argued Wednesday the search that uncovered the weapons Tuesday in New Jersey was illegal.
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McKenna says that a photo shoot for Cramsey’s business, Higher Ground Tactical, was the reason his truck had so many guns in it.
Cramsey and Smith discussed on Facebook going to NY to “rescue” a 16-year-old girl involved with drug activity.
The trio was pulled over outside the Holland Tunnel after a Port Authority police officer noticed that their windshield had a crack in it.
Lewis pleaded guilty April 13 to 11 total charges related to the incident, including three counts each of simple assault and making terroristic threats as well as one count each of possessing a firearm with an altered serial number, carrying a weapon without a license, illegal firearm possession, fleeing police and resisting arrest.
Cramsey has been crusading against Lehigh Valley’s heroin epidemic ever since his daughter Alexandria “Lexii” Cramsey died four months ago from a heroin and fentanyl overdose at the age of 20. They also pleaded not guilty to drug charges for a small amount of marijuana and drug paraphernalia police say they found in the pickup.
Plocinik doesn’t know the two men personally, but says her daughter met them through an anti-heroin group, run by Cramsey called “Enough is Enough”.
Port Authority police said they initially pulled the truck over because of a cracked windshield.
Lisa said after the hearing that he would ask Judge Mark Nelson, who had originally set bail at $75,000 cash, to lower bail later on Wednesday.
Family and friends maintain the three were going to New York City to help a young girl in trouble and never meant to use those weapons.
The three were arrested and charged with gun and drug crimes.
Lyn Baker, who started the group with Cramsey, told The Associated Press on Wednesday that it has helped dozens of drug addicts.
Baker said Arendt, the girl’s former counselor, received a call from the girl seeking help on Monday.
The New York Police Department declined to comment, but two New York law enforcement officials told The Associated Press that the NYPD had located the teenager and that she wasn’t in any danger at the time.
Cramsey on Tuesday morning posted in a Facebook group about the rescue attempt and claimed they planned to “extract” the girl from a hotel where she went to party.
According to The Morning Call of Allentown, Cyndi Angeles, Patterson’s mother, told reporters Wednesday outside her home in the 200 block of Eastview Drive that she was about to leave for a hospital in NY to get her daughter.
They are scheduled to appear in court in Jersey City, New Jersey, at 1 p.m. Wednesday.
It was unclear what, if anything, the weapons had to do with their plans, but an ammo box that was seized by police had a sticker that read “shoot your local heroin dealer”.
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Items found in the vehicle were: SAR 98 Salamander assault rifle, shotgun, 4 9mm handguns, .45-caliber pistol, Kevlar bullet resistant helmet, tactical/night vision goggles, body armor and ammunitions.
