Pawnbroker linked to Jersey City shooter is denied bail on gun charges

Steve Janoski
NorthJersey.com

A federal judge denied bail Monday to a Monmouth County pawnbroker arrested on weapons charges after his phone number was found in the pocket of one of the Jersey City shooters. 

The exact connection, if any, between Ahmed A-Hady, 35, and the pair who led last week's deadly rampage remains unclear. But U.S. Magistrate Judge Joseph Dickson ruled that the Keyport man posed a danger to the public after police found a cache of firearms and ammunition at his home and store. The law bars A-Hady, a convicted felon, from possessing either, authorities said. 

“I am concerned about the danger to the community,” Dickson said.

But the judge also scheduled a second bail hearing Tuesday at the request of K. Anthony Thomas, A-Hady's court-appointed public defender. The delay will give the court time to vet his family, members of which have offered to co-sign a $100,000 bail bond.

Neither Thomas nor A-Hady's family commented as they left the courtroom. 

Federal authorities searched the pawnshop, Buy N Sell City, as well as A-Hady’s nearby home after finding a handwritten note with his phone number and a Keyport address in the back pocket of David Anderson. Police say Anderson was one of the two shooters in the attack that killed a Jersey City cop and three bystanders in a kosher market.

David N. Anderson

They arrested A-Hady on Saturday after they found about a dozen weapons — rifles, handguns and a shotgun — and more than 400 rounds of ammunition, according to a statement from U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito.

Federal prosecutors used that lengthy list to buttress their argument that A-Hady should be detained.

"There is no condition or accommodation of conditions that will safely and adequately protect the community from Mr. A-Hady at this point in time," said Thomas Kearney of the U.S. Attorney's Office. 

But Thomas, the public defender, told the court A-Hady is a "respectable businessman" whose contact information is public. Any ties to Anderson were coincidental, he said.

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"It's very unfortunate and very tragic as to what happened in Jersey City," Thomas told the court. "But it's also unfortunate to try and make some nefarious connection between what happened in Jersey City and my client." 

A-Hady was ​​​​​​previously convicted of trying to obtain drugs by fraud. He faces up to 10 years in prison and a $250,000 fine for the new violations, Carpenito said.

Anderson and fellow shooter Francine Graham died at the kosher market after a three-hour gunfight with police. 

It remains unclear whether A-Hady knew the shooters, or spoke to them before the assault, which officials have labeled an act of domestic terrorism. Prosecutors did not any offer further details about their ties on Monday. 

Steve Janoski covers law enforcement for NorthJersey.com. For unlimited access to the most important news about those who safeguard your local community, please subscribe or activate your digital account today.

Email: janoski@northjersey.com Twitter: @stevejanoski