DELAWARE TOWNSHIP, N.J. (Hunterdon County) — A Delaware Township man has been sentenced to five years in state prison after being convicted of threatening a police officer while armed with a handgun, authorities said.
Edward Swantkoski, 66, was sentenced June 18 by Superior Court Judge Christopher J. Garrenger to an aggregate five-year prison term. Because he was convicted of second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose, the sentence is subject to New Jersey’s Graves Act, which requires mandatory prison terms for certain gun offenses. Under the law, offenders must serve a minimum term equal to one-half of the sentence imposed or 42 months, whichever is greater, before becoming eligible for parole. As a result, Swantkoski must serve three and a half years before becoming eligible for parole.
A Hunterdon County jury found Swantkoski guilty April 22 of third-degree terroristic threats and second-degree possession of a firearm for an unlawful purpose following a weeklong trial.
The jury was unable to reach a unanimous verdict on an additional charge of third-degree aggravated assault by pointing or displaying a firearm at a law enforcement officer.
The charges stemmed from a July 6, 2024, incident, when officers from the Delaware Township Police Department responded to Swantkoski’s residence for a reported domestic dispute.
Authorities said Swantkoski exited the home armed with a semiautomatic handgun and acted with the purpose of terrorizing Lt. Elliot Gray.
