Atlantic City, NJ, Man Wanted to Intimidate Gang Members, Now He’s Going to Prison

An Atlantic City man who tried to intimidate rival gang members by having a loaded gun will be spending the next several years behind bars.

22-year-old Altarik Hopkins has been sentenced to seven years in state prison on charges of second-degree possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose, fourth-degree resisting arrest by flight, and fourth-degree obstructing the administration of law.

According to the Atlantic County Prosecutor's Office, on May 5th, 2021, officers with the Atlantic City Police Department attempted to stop a vehicle which had been reported stolen out of Vineland.

After Hopkins and his juvenile co-defendants fled the stolen vehicle on foot, a search uncovered cellphones and two loaded handguns.

Police searched the cellphones and found timestamped videos of Hopkins and the juveniles passing around the handguns while driving through rival gang territory in the stolen vehicle.

Under oath during his guilty plea, prosecutors say Hopkins admitted he possessed a loaded handgun with the purpose of intimidating rival gang members.

In accordance with the terms of his guilty plea, Hopkins will be eligible for parole after 42 months.

These crimes were investigated by the Atlantic City Police Department and prosecuted by the Gangs, Guns, and Narcotics Unit of the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office.