Ah, the Garden State… where gun laws are ridiculous, things smell funny, and people like this are the ones who possess weapons:

On Monday, in a New Jersey courtroom, 45-year old James A. Appis of Washington Township fessed up to being a convicted felon and admitted because of this, he knew he was prohibited from possessing a firearm.

Appis, who is no stranger to New Jersey courtrooms, has quite the colorful rap sheet:

In August 2010, Appis pleaded guilty before Superior Court Judge Catherine Enright to one, second-degree count of being a certain person not permitted to have weapons. The charge was applicable to Appis because he has a prior conviction from August 2010 for a road rage incident that terrified a Chester Township woman and caused $12,000 worth of damage to her car.

In November 2015, Appis was charged in Warren County with stabbing an acquaintance in the neck on Route 604 in Hackettstown. Defense attorney Peter Gilbreth said the alleged victim of the stabbing did not want the matter pursued and the charges of aggravated assault, terroristic threats and possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose were administratively dismissed.

Why is this news? Because even after being convicted with and serving time for a road rage incident and a stabbing, Appis still wasn’t done with his lengthy rehabilitation process.

Washington Township police said last year Appis ordered the boys to be quiet and pointed a rifle at them after one of them sneezed outside of his home.

Police later executed a search warrant at the home and discovered a Ruger .22 caliber rifle.

Appis was charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, unauthorized person having a weapon, possession of weapon for unlawful purpose, unlawful possession of a weapon, aggravated assault involving a weapon and illegal possession of ammunition magazine.

All other charges will be dropped in exchange for a single guilty plea of “second-degree being a certain person not permitted to have weapons”, which Appis entered in the Morristown Superior Court Monday, although he did not admit to pointing a weapon at the children.

While the prosecution is recommending Appis serve the entirety of a five-year sentence in state prison on the charge, he remains free on bail until his sentencing on July 7, 2017.

I’m sure his community is thrilled.