Jermaine Mason, a 39-year-old Newark man, is facing federal charges in a five-bank robbery spree that terrorized Essex and Hudson Counties in late 2016. The defendant, also known as Asim Harris, allegedly struck banks in Harrison, Jersey City, Newark, and Kearny over a six-week period, using handwritten threats to force tellers to hand over cash.
According to a criminal complaint unsealed today by U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman, Mason robbed Kearny Bank in Harrison on October 21, 2016, then hit PNC Bank in Jersey City on November 3. On November 17, he targeted Popular Community Bank in Newark, followed by Provident Bank in Jersey City on November 18, and capped the spree with another hit on Provident Bank—this time in Kearny—on November 29.
Each robbery followed a chilling pattern: Mason approached bank tellers and either handed them a note or issued a verbal demand for money. During the November 3 heist at PNC Bank, he passed a note reading: “I’m not going play [sic] with you. You get one chance. $100 [and] $50 bills pass to me – stack!” Days later, at Popular Community Bank, he warned: “Hand me the money. $100 bills or we [are] going [to] have a problem!”
Mason was apprehended on November 30, 2016, in Jersey City by a joint task force including the FBI, U.S. Marshals, and local police from Jersey City, Harrison, Newark, and Kearny. Hudson County and Essex County Prosecutor’s Offices also assisted in the operation. At the time of arrest, Mason was on federal supervised release stemming from a previous bank robbery conviction tied to a string of robberies in 2006 and 2007.
Each of the five counts of bank robbery carries a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason S. Gould of the General Crimes Unit in Newark. FBI’s Violent Crimes/Interstate Theft Task Force, led by Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher, spearheaded the investigation.
The charges against Jermaine Mason are merely accusations. He is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
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Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Agency: DOJ USAO
- Category: Violent Crime
- Source: Official Source ↗
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