Anti-drug activist who drove with weapons cache gets prison

I remember this story being discussed here at ATS when it originally occurred. This is an update on that story, in which the guy is now being sentenced to 1 year in prison for his actions (has has already served 3 months in jail before this recent long-term sentencing).

Anti-drug activist who drove with weapons cache gets prison

ERSEY CITY, N.J. – A man arrested last year outside New York with a vehicle full of weapons while heading to the city to rescue a young woman from a drug den was sentenced on Friday to at least a year in prison.

John Cramsey, of East Greenville, Pennsylvania, pleaded guilty to weapons charges earlier this year and was sentenced in court in Jersey City to between one and five years in prison.

The anti-drug activist and former gun range owner and two associates were arrested outside the Holland Tunnel. He told authorities they were going to rescue the teenager, who later died of an overdose.

This real down side is the young woman he was attempting to rescue from a drug den later died of an O.D.

So, considering all the weapons he had in his possession at the time, and NJ's very strict gun control laws, this sentence was actually pretty light.

I remember the old ATS thread evolved into a swirling vortex of 2nd Amendment discussion and rhetoric. Let's see how this one fares.

ATS, does a 1 year sentence seem sufficient in this case or should it be more, or less time as a penalty?

a reply to: Krakatoa

ATS, does a 1 year sentence seem sufficient in this case or should it be more, or less time as a penalty?

Imo, they got caught running guns, the girl was a phony excuse why they were (running guns). A year means 8 mos., obviously they were 'overlooked' by the same 'justice system' that regularly sentences drug addicts to longer terms just for possession.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Krakatoa

ATS, does a 1 year sentence seem sufficient in this case or should it be more, or less time as a penalty?

Imo, they got caught running guns, the girl was a phony excuse why they were (running guns). A year means 8 mos., obviously they were 'overlooked' by the same 'justice system' that regularly sentences drug addicts to longer terms just for possession.

Did you read the article at all? Where it describes these people as:

John Cramsey

The anti-drug activist and former gun range owner ...
...He started a group for concerned parents and recovering addicts and began making trips to homes and hotel rooms to pull people out of dangerous situations and find them treatment, people involved in the efforts have said.

Dean Smith

Smith, a videographer and graphic designer, was driving Cramsey's neon-painted truck, which police said was pulled over because it had a crack in its windshield and objects hanging from a rearview mirror.

Kimberly Arendt

Arendt was a former camp counselor of 18-year-old Jenea Patterson, who reached out after a girl she was with died of a drug overdose.

Hardly a group to be "running guns" wouldn't you say?

a reply to: Krakatoa

The anti-drug activist and former gun range owner ...
...He started a group for concerned parents and recovering addicts and began making trips to homes and hotel rooms to pull people out of dangerous situations and find them treatment, people involved in the efforts have said.

He's ready to rescue addicts by shooting it out with the dope fiends?

Really? You believe that if you like.

a reply to: Krakatoa

He got 1-5, so a minimum of one.

originally posted by: intrptr
a reply to: Krakatoa

The anti-drug activist and former gun range owner ...
...He started a group for concerned parents and recovering addicts and began making trips to homes and hotel rooms to pull people out of dangerous situations and find them treatment, people involved in the efforts have said.

He's ready to rescue addicts by shooting it out with the dope fiends?

Really? You believe that if you like.

Yes, I do believe it. Especially when his own daughter died of a drug overdose. I can imagine a father being so upset and determined to never let another man's go through that pain and anguish. A form of making a sense of his daughters death would be a crusade to prevent that form happening again.

ETA: And, do you really think a drug pusher is going to file charges against him and risk being exposed as a drug pusher!!

a reply to: Krakatoa

Do you really think a bereaved father is going to shoot up the whole hood to get revenge?

Considering what happened in Vegas, maybe.

But then they only give him a year.

As dangerously unstable as he sounds the justice system is that lenient, especially in Jersey, an avid gun control capital?

People watch too many films like Commando.

Morning call

a reply to: Krakatoa

Who is the victim of the crime?

originally posted by: pryingopen3rdeye
a reply to: Krakatoa

Who is the victim of the crime?

My thoughts too. I don't believe in a victimless crime. Who suffered damages by this guy's actions?

I'm been on a jury a few times, got on one case, today if I was on a jury I'd say not guilty for someone who committed a victimless crime. If the lawyers and the court knew I would do that, I'd never get assigned to a jury on any case.

a reply to: Krakatoa

I remember that one too. The guy's mistook real life for a Steven Seagal movie plot.

It's good to see the courts were lenient with them because their intentions looked honourable. There are times when it's really, really tempting to give vigilantes a free pass and this is one of them.

I always get suspicious of vague terms like "weapons cache." What defines a "cache?" Well, in this case:

Police recovered a semi-automatic, military-style rifle, a shotgun, five handguns and tactical gear. All three defendants faced multiple weapons charges under New Jersey's gun laws, which are stricter than Pennsylvania's and require guns transported in cars to be kept locked and unloaded in a trunk or a secure container.

A rifle, a shotgun, and five handguns. I'd guess that's about the same as you would find in a typical New Jersey State Trooper cruiser. But I'm sure the New Jersey State Police keep their weapons cache unloaded and locked up while they are being transported in accordance with the law.

I guess we can all rest easy knowing that while teenagers in sex slavery are dying of drug overdoses, law enforcement is on the job making sure that no one is driving around with cracked windshields or loaded weapons. Except themselves, of course.

a reply to: Krakatoa


Just discovered this story.

The sentencing was absolutely unacceptable and a total violation of his rights. Additionally, all persons involved in stopping this guy should be charged with manslaughter, since they directly interfered in his attempt to save the victim's life.

What exactly is illegal about driving around with a weapons cache again? If that was the case, they'd have a field day with my trunk. Oh that's right, it is only illegal because of the ridiculous laws in NJ. So apparently the NJ stasi don't even allow open carry?

The biggest thing in this story is their focus on the guns instead of the person who died from drugs (foremost) but also died from government intervention. If they would've stepped back and did nothing to obstruct this man, at least she wouldn't have died.

...intrptr, drug possession isn't a Constitutionally protected right. Having guns (including arsenals of guns in your car) is.

NJ? What's NJ? I don't recognize that state as part of the Constitution loving USA. Any other states want to lose their legitimacy by oppressing and infringing upon Constitutional rights?

..and most of you guys claim to hate Hitler and facism. What exactly do you call putting someone in jail over exercising a Constitutional right?

To answer the OP, the 1 year sentence is entirely unreasonable. Not only should the case have been dismissed, but it shouldn't have existed in the first place. In fact, someone died specifically as a result of the actions of this rogue state.