TRENTON, N.J. — New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Friday commuted the sentence of a Marine who was about to start a three-year prison sentence after he was arrested on gun charges in 2011.
Hisashi Pompey was convicted in 2013 and was slated to begin his sentence on Monday. Christie signed the commutation on Friday.
Pompey was visiting friends in 2011 in New Jersey from Virginia, where he had legally registered the weapon. He was at a nightclub in Fort Lee when a friend who had been in a fight pulled Pompey's firearm from its holster. No shots were fired, but Pompey and his friend were arrested.
Pompey, who served tours of duty in Afghanistan and Iraq, told WABC-TV he's "no troublemaker."
Pompey was sentenced in 2013 to five years with a mandatory minimum of three years. WABC-TV reported that Pompey lost an appeal and that the possibility of Christie's commutation was his final hope.
New Jersey doesn't recognize carry permits from other states. Guns must be kept locked and unloaded in a trunk or secure container.
