NEWARK, N.J. – A Union County, New Jersey, man admitted taking part in a conspiracy to commit a number of armed robberies from August 2018 to February 2019, U.S. Lawyer Philip R. Sellinger introduced right this moment.
Jaime Fontanez, 45, of Elizabeth, New Jersey, pleaded responsible earlier than U.S. District Choose Stanley R. Chesler on Nov. 30, 2022, to eight counts of an indictment charging him with one depend of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act theft, 5 substantive counts of Hobbs Act theft, and two counts of brandishing a firearm in the course of the fee of a criminal offense of violence.
In accordance with paperwork filed on this case and statements made in courtroom:
From August 2018 by February 2019, Fontanez conspired with quite a lot of different people to commit 13 armed robberies in Bronx and New York counties in New York and Union, Middlesex, and Essex counties in New Jersey. The conspirators focused comfort and liquor shops. After getting into the enterprise, one of many conspirators pointed a firearm on the retailer clerk whereas one other conspirator went behind the counter to steal cash from the money register. On one event, one of many conspirators discharged a firearm into the liquor retailer.
The Hobbs Act prices every carry a most potential penalty of 20 years in jail. The brandishing of a firearm throughout a criminal offense of violence carries a most potential penalty of life in jail and a compulsory minimal sentence of seven years in jail, which should run consecutively to another jail time period. Every depend additionally carries a possible $250,000 tremendous. Sentencing is scheduled for April 26,2023.
U.S. Lawyer Sellinger credited particular brokers with the FBI, underneath the path of Particular Agent in Cost James E. Dennehy in Newark, with the investigation resulting in the responsible plea. He additionally thanked the Elizabeth Police Division, the Rahway Police Division, the Woodbridge Police Division, the Bloomfield Police Division, the Linden Police Division, the Kenilworth Police Division, the Union Police Division, and the New Jersey States Police for his or her help.
The federal government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tracey Agnew of the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace in Trenton and Shawn Barnes of the U.S. Lawyer’s Workplace Prison Division in Newark.
