It is unlawful to sell, give, transfer, assign or otherwise dispose of, or receive, purchase, or otherwise acquire a handgun unless the purchaser, assignee, donee, receiver or holder is licensed as a dealer under New Jersey law or has first secured a Permit to Purchase a handgun
I don't know where you are getting your info, but it is wrong. Bringing a firearm in from out of state, youy are not aquiring that firearm. you possessed it prior to becoming a state resident. Just as there is not requirement to carry a sFID card while in possession of legal firearms. the problem with NJ residents is that they read too much into the laws.
If you have a question, contact the NJ State Police firearms Division. That is where we get our info when answering questions concerning firearms. As yoy said yourself, why wouyld aquiring a firearm through a inheritence be different than be a prior owner and moving into the state. One of the reason I became involved in this question was due to a inheritence by a town resident. A long conversation with the state cleared it up.
As far as Pierce's involvement, NJ isn't going to do anything. They have zero proof. Who besides himself knew how the handgun got back to NJ? I doubt he will testify against himself. As these people are not going to have a overworked public defender but a top notch highly paid lawyer, nothing will be left to chance. Knowing and proving are two totally different things.
One other area. Possession of a handgun is also permitted in your place of employemnt. Carrying a legal firearm concealed in also legal in your place of employment.
As far as Plexico being a thug, some get too cuaght up in this. As far as I know, he has never been involved in any serious criminal activities. How does he become a "thug" ? A stupid decision to shoot himself? An idiot yes. Thug? Not so much.
Plexico isn't going to try and overturn anything. As a first offender, he will not do any jail time. No one in NY does jail time for a first offense if they have no priors.
If you look at the news around the athletes it seems they bring themselves into harms way inadvertantly more often than seems proportional.
Because high profile people are news. The average guy shooting himself in a bar doesn't even make the local papers.