NEWARK, N.J. – Rapper Justin Pope, known as “P-Dice,” was sentenced on June 23, 2026, to 63 months in prison for unlawfully possessing ammunition as a previously convicted felon after he fired a privately made "ghost gun" at a pregnant woman. U.S. District Court Judge Brian R. Martinotti also imposed three years of supervised release following the prison term.
The incident occurred on July 12, 2023, in a Clifton, New Jersey, public parking lot. Surveillance footage showed Pope and the pregnant woman arguing in a car. After the woman struck Pope and exited the vehicle, Pope pointed a gun at her and fired two close-range shots. One bullet traveled across the street, lodging in a menu display at a quick-service restaurant that was open with employees present.
The day after the shooting, Pope posted videos on social media, firing a gun in a residential neighborhood and taunting law enforcement, saying, “Can’t find me . . . Police. Y’all never gonna find me.” He was arrested hours later in New York City while attempting to board an out-of-state bus, where he was seen brandishing a firearm. Authorities recovered a loaded 9mm "ghost gun" with a large capacity magazine, which ballistics testing confirmed was the weapon used in the shooting.
U.S. Attorney Robert Frazer emphasized the severity of Pope’s actions. “The defendant’s brazen and violent conduct could have cost lives. Pope fired multiple shots at close range at a pregnant woman in a public parking lot and took to social media to taunt law enforcement as he continued to endanger the community,” Frazer said. Pope had a prior New Jersey conviction for aggravated assault related to a child shooting.
The investigation involved special agents of the FBI, along with officers from the Clifton, Paterson, Passaic, and New York City Police Departments, and the Passaic County Sheriff’s Department. This case falls under Project Safe Neighborhoods, a program aimed at reducing violent crime and gun violence.