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Armed Robberies of Pharmacies Leave Community Shaken
CAMDEN, N.J. – In a shocking turn of events, Charles Johnson, 28, of Irvington, New Jersey, has admitted to committing three armed robberies of pharmacies in Elizabeth, New Jersey, for oxycodone and other prescription medication.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, throughout June and July 2022, Johnson robbed three different pharmacies in Elizabeth using a similar approach for each of the robberies, including brandishing a firearm, committing the robberies in the morning, demanding that employees of the pharmacies provide Johnson with oxycodone, promethazine, and other prescription medication, and threatening to shoot individuals in the pharmacies with a firearm.
Law enforcement officials collected extensive video surveillance footage that linked Johnson to the robberies, leading to his guilty plea on June 14, 2023, before U.S. District Judge Karen M. Williams in Camden federal court.
Johnson pleaded guilty to three counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence. The Hobbs Act Robbery counts each carry a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison, while the brandishing of a firearm during a crime of violence count carries a maximum potential penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other term of imprisonment imposed.
Each count also carries a fine of up to $250,000, or twice the gain or loss from the offenses, whichever is greatest. Sentencing is scheduled for Oct. 18, 2023.
U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark; the Union County Prosecutor’s Office, under the direction of Prosecutor William A. Daniel; and the Elizabeth Police Department, under the direction of Chief Giacomo Sacca, for the investigation leading to the guilty plea.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jessica R. Ecker of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Violent Crime|Drug Trafficking
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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