Kofi Edwards, Armed Robbery, New Jersey 2009

Kofi Edwards, a 51-year-old man from Trinidad and Tobago, has been arrested and charged with the armed robbery of a steakhouse in Woodbridge, New Jersey, in 2009.

Edwards, a fugitive for over 10 years, was arrested in California and has been transported to the District of New Jersey to face charges. He entered a plea of not guilty and was detained.

According to documents filed in the case, Edwards conspired with other individuals to rob the steakhouse at gunpoint in March 2009. A conspirator, who was an employee of the restaurant at the time, called the restaurant to determine if any managers were present, because he knew that only managers would be able to open the restaurant’s safe.

After confirming that a manager was present, Edwards and another individual entered the restaurant – Edwards carrying a fake gun and the other individual armed with a firearm – and brandished the weapons while demanding that employees open the safe. The employees complied, and Edwards and the other individual bound them with plastic zip ties and fled with approximately $150,000 in cash.

Edwards later left New Jersey and began living under a false identity. He was added to the FBI’s “Most Wanted” list and the FBI offered a reward of up to $10,000 for information leading directly to his arrest.

Edwards faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison on the counts of conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery and Hobbs Act robbery. On the count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence, Edwards faces a mandatory minimum prison sentence of seven years – which must run consecutively to any other sentence Edwards receives – and a maximum potential penalty of life in prison.

The investigation leading to the charges was conducted by the Newark Central Jersey Safe Streets Task Force, led by the FBI. U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger credited the special agents and task force officers of the FBI with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Trevor A. Chenoweth of the General Crimes Unit in Newark.

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