Newark Man Pleads Guilty To 14 Armed Robberies Of New Jersey Stores

NEWARK, N.J. – A Newark man admitted today to committing 14 armed robberies of commercial establishments throughout Union, Essex, Hudson and Bergen counties, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Jamar Darby, aka “Rhino,” 27, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls to two counts of an indictment charging him with conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robberies and with brandishing a firearm during one of those robberies.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

Darby conspired with others to rob commercial establishments as follows:

Darby and his conspirators robbed each of these establishments at gunpoint, stealing cash, cigarettes and other items. In 13 of the 14 robberies, Darby and his conspirators used zip ties or duct tape to restrain their victims. During the Pat’s Deli robbery on Feb. 19, 2013, Darby and a conspirator restrained several victims with duct tape after threatening one victim with a .45 caliber semi-automatic handgun.

The Hobbs Act conspiracy to which Darby pleaded guilty carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The charge of brandishing a firearm during a violent crime carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other prison term. Each count also carries a maximum $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss arising out of the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for June 17, 2014.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Belleville, Bloomfield, Kearny, Linden, Maplewood, Newark, Paramus, Verona and West Orange Police Departments, along with the N.J. State Police and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for their work on this case.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamari Buxton and Rahul Agarwal of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.

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Defense counsel: Anthony C. Mack Esq., Newark                         

Darby Indictment