Two New Jersey men plead guilty to calculated brazen thefts of South Jersey car owners
Two men who reside in the southern part of New Jersey have pleaded guilty to their roles in separate but equally calculated schemes that targeted motor vehicle owners and buyers.
The details of both cases, investigations, and court trials, were announced by the U.S. DOJ and U.S. Attorney Philip Sellinger.
We'll start in Camden County where a Camden man has pleaded guilty and admitted his role in conspiracies where he took part in several carjackings and robberies of gas stations in South Jersey.
Kamau Bradshaw, 20, has been charged with one count of conspiring to commit armed robberies, one count of committing an armed robbery, and one count of conspiring to commit armed carjackings and was arrested and charged along with Paul Rogers on September 17, 2021.
It was that month, the 14th to be exact, when Attorney Sellinger said that two masked men -- one of whom was also wearing a Nike hooded sweatshirt and scuffed tan work boots, while the other wore a tan hooded sweatshirt that read "REACTIVE" on the sleeves along with striped boxer shorts -- carrying an AR-style rifle robbed a gas station in Pennsauken
They went in, stole cash and cigarettes while holding the rifle, and then took off heading to a home in Camden with a large duffle bag, according to Sellinger.
Three days later, Attorney Sellinger said that law enforcement executed a federal search warrant there and found several items including a duffle bag, an AR-style rifle, a gray Nike sweatshirt, scuffed tan work boots, and a tan hooded sweatshirt with “REACTIVE” printed on the sleeves.
The boxers were also an indicator that day.
"Bradshaw and Rogers were present when law enforcement agents executed the search warrant, at which time Bradshaw was wearing striped boxer shorts consistent with those worn by one of the robbers during the robbery."
The Pennsauken robbery was only one of the heists, two of the locations were robbed more than once, according to Sellinger, and each robbery had a similar M.O. with a rifle and threatened the attendant.
"Bradshaw admitted his role in eight gas station robberies or attempted robberies in addition to the Sept. 14, 2021, robbery in Pennsauken, including robberies in Haddon Township on Aug. 30, 2021; Pennsauken on Aug. 30, 2021; Bridgeton on Aug. 31, 2021; Brooklawn on Aug. 31, 2021; Vineland on Aug. 31, 2021; Pennsauken on Sept. 1, 2021; Haddon Township on Sept. 1, 2021; and Haddon Township on Sept. 16, 2021."
In addition to the gas station armed robberies, there were also armed carjackings taking place and sometimes both crimes coincided.
"For several of the robberies, Bradshaw and his conspirators used a car they obtained by committing an armed carjacking in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Members of the carjacking conspiracy traveled from Camden to Philadelphia and brandished what appeared to be an assault weapon in order to force a driver and passenger from an automobile. They returned to Camden with the victim's car, which they proceeded to use to drive to and from some of their gas station robberies."
While Rogers' charges are pending, Bradshaw has pleaded guilty and as a result of him doing so for the crimes he committed, "the count of conspiracy to commit robbery and the robbery count to which Bradshaw pleaded guilty each carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The count of conspiracy to commit armed carjacking to which Bradshaw pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of five years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Jan. 12, 2023."
Attorney Sellinger said that in this case, "the government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jeffrey Bender of the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Camden. Defense counsel: Richard Sparaco Esq., Cherry Hill, New Jersey."
A little further north and to the east in South Jersey, an Egg Harbor Township man has pleaded guilty and has also been sentenced to 2-years in prison for wire fraud where he was defrauding customers through his car dealership.
The 40-year-old Afzal Khan, aka “Bobby Khan,” defrauded lenders and customers through his dealership, Emporio Motor Group in Ramsey, between December 2013 and September 2014.
According to Attorney Sellinger, "Khan obtained loans from the auto finance division of a large bank for cars that he never delivered, but for which the purchaser was still responsible. Khan also obtained loans from the victim bank for cars that were delivered, but for which neither he nor Emporio had the title. As a result, the purchasers of these cars were liable for the loans, but could not register the cars."
That wasn't all either, as Khan continued his scheming by keeping the money for himself.
"Khan offered to sell cars for individuals on consignment but did not return the cars or provide any money to the individuals from the sale of the cars. Khan admitted that as a result of his actions, he exposed the victim bank to a potential loss of at least $550,000."
In addition to two years in prison, Khan was also sentenced to three years of supervised release and ordered forfeiture of $1.1 million.
Attorney Sellinger said that in this case, "the government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Cybercrime Unit in Newark. Defense counsel: Anthony J. Pope Esq., Newark."