Essex County Man Pleads Guilty in Gas Station Robberies

NEWARK—An Essex County, New Jersey man today admitted his role in a series of gas station robberies in Elizabeth and Newark on March 8, 2011, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Lamar Sanders, 24, of Newark, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Dennis M. Cavanaugh in Newark federal court to an information charging him with three counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

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

On March 8, 2011, Sanders and Abdul Muhammad robbed a Getty gas station in Newark, a Delta gas station in Newark, and a Lukoil gas station in Elizabeth. Sanders admitted to striking in the face the two gas station attendants at the Getty and Delta gas stations during the robberies. He also admitted threatening the gas station attendant at the Lukoil gas station with a firearm. During the Lukoil robbery, Sanders handed the firearm to Muhammad, who then discharged the weapon, striking the Lukoil employee. Muhammad previously pleaded guilty to three counts of Hobbs Act robbery and discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. He is awaiting sentencing.

The Hobbs Act robbery charge to which Sanders pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The offense of discharging a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence carries a minimum consecutive term of 10 years in prison and a maximum of life in prison. Each of these charges carries a statutory maximum fine equal to the greatest of $250,000 or twice the gross amount of any pecuniary gain by the defendant or loss by the victim.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward in Newark with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea.

Sentencing before Judge Cavanaugh is scheduled for September 5, 2012.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Dara Aquila Govan of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.