No doubt about it, but he still has the Right to self-defense and the Right to bear arms.
Any government that infringes upon those basic Rights is totally illegitimate.
I wouldn't bet on it. NJ is FUBAR when it comes to firearms. Stuff that's sold in the local Walmart in WV will get you jail time if they catch you with it in NJ (hollow point ammo).
There's two issues here btw. Not only did he have a firearm in NJ without having a permit to possess but carrying requires another permit which is almost impossible to get in NJ unless you're connected very high up and get the appropriate "reassurances" passed to a judge. A few years ago, an employee of the National Guard whose work required him to carry keys to the armory, could not get a concealed carry permit. The man was carrying around the means for any bad guy to gain access to all sorts of weaponry and he wasn't allowed to defend himself. That shows you how f**ked NJ is.
I think the ex-cop is screwed.