New York

Man at Center of Notorious Holland Tunnel Gun Bust Rejects Plea Deal; Case Will Head to Trial

John Cramsey, of Zionsville, Pennsylvania, and two others were arrested on weapons charges last June

What to Know

  • John Cramsey, Dean Smith and Kimberly Arendt were stopped at the entrance to the Holland Tunnel in June
  • Cramsey said he was on the way to help a 16-year-old girl whose friend overdosed on drugs, but forgot he had weapons in his truck, he said
  • Cramsey, the leader of the group, has called the presence of the guns in the car an 'oversight'

A Pennsylvania man arrested at the Holland Tunnel last year with a stunning cache of weapons while on a trip he said was to rescue a teen from a drug den in New York has rejected a plea deal that would have required him to spend five years in prison with a chance for earlier parole.

John Cramsey, whose daughter died of a heroin overdose several months before he and two others were busted while on an alleged mission June 21 to save the 16-year-old girl in Brooklyn, is headed to trial after his attorneys canned the five-year plea deal prosecutors offered Monday. Under the deal, Cramsey would have been eligible for parole after 42 months. 

"That's an offer that could have been made on Day 1. It wasn't made," attorney James Lisa said outside court after the hearing. Lisa said the offer should have included parole eligibility after one year, which would have meant some of the time had already been served. Cramsey remains out on bail.

"That is a standard offer to individuals who are caught with guns and have no prior record," Lisa said. "Sounds like Mr. Cramsey is going to have a date with 12 of his peers. We're going to trial."

It wasn't clear when the trial would begin. 

The development comes after failed attempts by Cramsey's lawyers to have him enter a pretrial intervention program to avoid jail time. One of the attorneys had also discussed appealing to New Jersey Gov. Christie, known for a strong stance on the drug abuse crisis, for a pardon. 

Cramsey, along Pennsylvania residents Dean Smith and Kimberly Arendt were stopped at the entrance of the Holland Tunnel in Jersey City in June with a truck that had gun-rights decals on it. Police say the vehicle had a cracked windshield.

Police found a weapons cache inside the truck, which was emblazoned with a photo of the U.S. Constitution and second amendment. The guns seized included a military-style rifle and a shotgun as well as handguns. A camouflage helmet with what appeared to be night goggles was also recovered. The Port Authority and other law enforcement officials said at the time that the three were gun enthusiasts who had no link terrorism.

They were arrested and named in a 63-count indictment charging them with various weapons offenses, including unlawful possession of a shotgun and handgun, possession of high capacity magazines and transportation of an assault rifle. All have pleaded not guilty; their lawyers had sought to suppress evidence stemming from the weapons search, which they said was illegal.

Cramsey insisted the group was on a mission to Brooklyn to "rescue" a 16-year-old girl from a hotel room there after an issue involving drugs. He previously said he had forgotten he had the weapons in his truck when he set out to try to help the teenager.

Cramsey's 20-year-old daughter died from a heroin overdose about four months prior to the stop and he had since attended town hall meetings around the Allentown area to voice his concerns over the drug epidemic, The Morning Call newspaper in Allentown, Pennsylvania, reported.

"This is a plague and we are losing our brightest and most brilliant minds," Cramsey told the newspaper shortly after his daughter was found dead of an overdose with another man inside an Allentown home.

Lisa said Monday that Cramsey has spent the months since his arrest continuing to try to help people with drug problems.

"What he's doing is what he does best -- he's going out and saving individuals who are addicted to heroin," Lisa said. "He's hell bent on doing what he can to make sure others don't suffer the same fate."

Hearings for Smith and Arendt that had been scheduled for Monday were postponed. 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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