A Florida man is facing charges after authorities allege he transported an arsenal of weapons, including a booby-trapped rifle and assault-style firearms, through transit hubs in New Jersey.
Jeffrey O. Kennerk, 34, of Fort Lauderdale, was arrested on January 3 at the Trenton Transit Center following a joint law enforcement operation involving state and transit police. He was indicted Wednesday on a range of charges including aggravated assault, unlawful possession of weapons, and risking widespread injury.
The investigation began earlier that day when New Jersey Transit officers discovered an unattended zebra-print suitcase at Newark Penn Station. Inside, police found a loaded handgun, rifle ammunition, and an assault-style rifle with a round in the chamber. Additional compartments held boxes of ammunition and loaded magazines.
Surveillance footage showed a man matching Kennerk’s description leaving the bag behind and purchasing a train ticket. Authorities tracked the train to its next stop in Trenton, where officers boarded and questioned Kennerk, who presented a ticket for a different train. He was initially told to wait for his scheduled train, but after officers received word he was a suspect in the Newark incident, he was taken into custody just before attempting to board another train.
A search of Kennerk’s remaining luggage uncovered additional weapons, including an AR-15-style rifle broken into parts, extended magazines, and several handguns. One rifle was wrapped in cloth near the trigger and discharged during evidence handling, prompting investigators to label it a potential booby-trap.
Authorities also recovered silencers and hollow-point ammunition from the bags.
State officials emphasized the seriousness of the charges and the potential risk to public safety. Kennerk remains in custody pending further proceedings.
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