Man faces 20 years for brazen attack on NJ Joint Base that injured guard

WRIGHTSTOWN — A Florida man admitted he drove through an entrance to the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-McGuire without stopping in November 2020 intentionally rammed two vehicles and dragged a guard.

Hal Wander, 25, of Port Charlotte, Florida, admitted during a hearing on Tuesday that he sped through the gate of the Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst in Wrightstown on Nov. 16 without stopping at the checkpoint.

Once inside the base, two military police officers chased Wander to get him to stop.

Wander intentionally drove into a vehicle that had been positioned to force him to stop and then drove back into a second vehicle.

While Wander was stopped for a moment, the officer in the first vehicle reached into his car to turn off the ignition. Instead, Sellinger drove several feet while dragging the officer.

U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger did not disclose a motive for Wander's attack.

Wander was charged with assault on two federal officers using a deadly and dangerous weapon, a motor vehicle. He faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in prison and a fine of up to $250,000.

Contact reporter Dan Alexander at Dan.Alexander@townsquaremedia.com or via Twitter @DanAlexanderNJ