A Barnegat man recently pleaded guilty in federal court to a string of bank robberies stretching from the end of 2013 to the first week of 2014. He admitted that in a nine-week span from October 30, 2014 to January 7, 2014, he robbed eight banks, seven of which were in New Jersey and one in New York.

The man had a similar routine at each bank. He would enter wearing hats, hooded jackets, wigs, or other means to conceal his identity, then approach the bank tellers and demand money. He would typically make the tellers believe he was armed and threaten them with violence. At Columbia Bank, he pointed something from under his clothing at a teller, acting as if he had a gun. At Fulton Bank, his last robbery, he gave the teller an envelope and stated, “give me what I want and nobody gets hurt.”

What is Robbery?

The difference between a robbery and a burglary is that robbery involves stealing directly from a person or persons, while burglary is stealing from a place. Thus in these instances, the man burglarized the banks, but robbed the people inside.

Robbery is not as simple as you may think. New Jersey defines the act and its penalties under N.J.S.A. 2C:15-1. A person is guilty of robbery if they use force, inflict bodily injury, commit a first- or second-degree crime, or threaten someone with fear of immediate bodily harm. We know that the robber in this case used at least one of these actions, making his thefts—by definition—robbery.

A robbery conviction in the second degree carries a penalty of 5 to 10 years imprisonment. However, that robbery becomes a first degree crime when the criminal attempts to kill a person, inflicts serious bodily injury on a person, or threatens a person with a deadly weapon. The Barnegat man in this case threatened the tellers with a deadly weapon at least once, which makes his action a first degree robbery. That crime carries a 10- to 20-year sentence.

Robbery Charges and Jail For Barnegat Robber

The bank robbery charges to which the Barnegat man pleaded guilty each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years imprisonment and a $250,000 fine. With eight charges, the man will certainly face a lengthy jail sentence.

Long Beach Island Criminal Defense Attorney

If you have been arrested for robbery on Long Beach Island or surrounding areas it's important to reach out to the firm of Villani & DeLuca, P.C. Call 609-389-9470 today to speak with one of Criminal Defense Lawyers.