| Former Doctor Guilty of Possessing Assault Weapons in Ridgewood Apartment |
| file photo by Boyd Loving the staff of the Ridgewood blog Ridgewood NJ, A former physician from Ridgewood , already convicted of hoarding bomb-making materials, has also been found guilty of having assault weapons in his apartment. A jury reached the verdict regarding the weapons charges on February 1, finding that Roberto Rivera possessed two assault rifles and ammunition seized by police during a raid of his home in November 2012. Authorities also discovered large quantities of chemicals that could be used to make explosives, 10 detonators, instructions on how to make nitroglycerin, and writings regarding a potential attack. Rivera was found guilty on November 26 of having a destructive device in his apartment. He faces a sentence of up to 26 years in prison on all charges. The verdicts come after three trials, with the first being declared a mistrial in April after a juror independently received information regarding the case. Authorities said that Rivera began researching chemicals and homemade explosives when he moved to Ridgewood after being radicalized by the Occupy Wall Street movement around August 2011. Neighbors recalled seeing a “constant flow” of packages to his home once he started purchasing materials. An investigation began after police received a tip from a neighbor about a conversation with Rivera regarding power outages caused by Superstorm Sandy. Authorities did not identify a target. |