Carlo Bellario, the comedian/actor facing gun possession charges, will appear in Middlesex County Superior Court Wednesday afternoon.
UPDATE: Actor takes plea deal after all
NEW BRUNSWICK -- Carlo Bellario, the comedian/actor facing charges for having a BB gun while filming a movie in Woodbridge last year, will gamble going forward in his case Wednesday afternoon, saying he planned to opt for trial, rejecting a new plea deal of no jail time and a significant reduction to what prosecutors had offered earlier this year.
A few hours before the hearing Wednesday afternoon at the Middlesex County Courthouse, in New Brunswick, Bellario was decisive in his decision to reject the plea deal.
"I've suffered enough," he said. "They realize that the production company is the culprit, so why the need to still punish me?"
According to Bellario's attorney, Jef Henninger, the county Prosecutor's Office plans to offer Bellario probation without jail for "creating public false alarm" -- which would be a drastic contrast to the three-year prison deal the prosecution offered at a preliminary hearing in March.
But, regardless, Henninger said, "If that's the deal, he's going to reject it."
It is unlikely the Prosecutor's Office would offer a similar deal if Bellario opts for trial. In fact, Henninger said, the terms could go even higher than they were in March.
"It will probably go even higher because they are probably going to be even more limited in what they can offer him," said Henninger.
Last November, Bellario was shooting a movie entitled "Vendetta Games" directed by Andre Joseph, of Staten Island, who runs a production company, Epyx Productions. One of the scenes, Bellario had said, involved him having a "semi-automatic BB gun," as described by Middlesex County Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Kuberiet at the March hearing. Kuberiet had said that under state law, the BB gun is considered a firearm.
Police were called and when they arrived, Bellario had the BB gun in his hand, he told NJ Advance Media in a previous report. He thought the director had a permit for the BB gun.
According to Kuberiet, Bellario has six prior convictions in two states, including charges of theft, credit card theft, and burglary, according to court records.
Bellario's attorney, Jef Henninger, said in March that if Bellario were convicted at trial, the court could potentially add as much as 10 or more years in prison to his sentence.
Spencer Kent may be reached at skent@njadvancemedia.com. Follow him on Twitter @SpencerMKent. Find the Find NJ.com on Facebook.