Several NJ men are on their way to federal prison after being convicted, and sentenced, in connection with the planned heist of a drug den located in Camden County, New Jersey. According to federal law enforcement officials, six men conspired to carry out an armed robbery of a drug stash house in Camden County, NJ. In January 2014, law enforcement recorded the suspects talking about the robbery. The recording reportedly indicated that the suspects were going to obtain police uniforms and impersonate police officers in order to gain access to the Camden drug den. Once inside the stash house, the suspects would then kill the occupants and steal a large quantity of cocaine. The suspects allegedly planned to carry out the violent robbery on January 30, 2014. However, when they got together in Maple Shade NJ on that day, federal agents placed them under arrest. While searching the suspects, authorities reportedly discovered an arsenal of weapons, including four handguns (two of which had been reported stolen), a sawed-off shotgun, and a large amount of ammunition.
Different Approaches, Different Penalties: One Suspect Accepts Plea Deal, the Other Suspect Goes to Trial
Two of the suspects, a 30-year-old Florence NJ man and a 43-year-old Trenton man, were recently sentenced for their respective roles in the attempted robbery. Both suspects made appearances in US District Court, with the federal judge sentencing the Florence suspect to 10 years in prison and the Trenton suspect to 30 years in prison. The sentences were announced to the public by US Attorney Paul Fishman, who issued a press release and indicated that the suspects will not be eligible for release on parole for several years. The Florence NJ suspect avoided a trial by reaching a plea deal with federal prosecutors in November 2015. He pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit robbery and conspiracy to distribute cocaine. In exchange for the suspect’s guilty plea, prosecutors agreed to drop the more serious charges against the suspect and recommend a relatively light punishment when the time came for him to be sentenced. The Trenton suspect faced the most severe penalties in the case, so he fought the charges and went to trial. At the conclusion of the criminal trial in April 2016, a jury ultimately convicted the suspect on several charges:
· Conspiracy to commit robbery
· Conspiracy to distribute cocaine
· Unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with a crime of violence
· Unlawful possession of a firearm in connection with drug trafficking
· Certain persons offense for being a convicted felon unlawfully in possession of a firearm
The other four suspects in the robbery case were also convicted for their respective roles in the planned drug den heist. Three of the suspects, all of whom hail from Trenton NJ, were already sentenced to prison time earlier this year. Meanwhile, the fourth suspect, a Willingboro NJ man, will likely be headed to prison later this month after he is formally sentenced. If you have been arrested for a drug offense in New Jersey or Pennsylvania, you should talk to an experienced criminal defense attorney as soon as possible. The experienced, aggressive criminal defense lawyers at Garber Law will help you fight your criminal charges and avoid the most severe penalties. Contact us today to schedule a free initial consultation.