Trenton felon sentenced to 7+ years after fleeing traffic stop and diving into canal
The man led officers on a foot pursuit along the Delaware and Raritan Canal
A Mercer County man will spend seven and a half years in federal prison after fleeing a traffic stop with a bag of handguns and diving into a local canal to escape police.
Anthony Brown, 31, of Trenton, was sentenced on Wednesday to 90 months in prison followed by three years of supervised release. Brown previously pled guilty in Trenton federal court to an indictment charging him with possessing firearms as a convicted felon.
The charges stem from an incident on the evening of October 3, 2023. According to court documents, Trenton police officers conducted a routine traffic stop on a vehicle driven by Brown. During the encounter, Brown suddenly leaped out of the car and fled on foot.
Clutching a dark-colored cross-body bag, Brown led officers on a foot pursuit along the Delaware and Raritan Canal. As police closed in, Brown attempted to hurl the bag into the adjacent brush before diving directly into the canal water in a desperate bid to escape.
Officers quickly caught up to Brown, pulled him out of the canal, and placed him under arrest.
When officers retrieved the bag Brown had discarded in the brush, they discovered two semi-automatic handguns inside. Because of his status as a convicted felon with prior felony convictions, Brown was legally prohibited from possessing any firearms or ammunition.
