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Bank Robber Strikes Twice in Essex County, New Jersey
A brazen bank robber who attempted to intimidate his way to cash in two separate incidents in Essex County, New Jersey, has been arrested and charged with bank robbery. Sufyan A. Abdullah, 54, of Newark, New Jersey, is accused of terrorizing bank employees and customers with threats of a mass shooting and an imitation explosive device.
According to court documents, on July 8, 2023, Abdullah entered a bank in Elizabeth, New Jersey, and handed a note to a teller claiming to have multiple firearms and threatening a “mass shooting.” Abdullah fled the bank without obtaining any money. Just seven days later, on July 15, 2023, Abdullah entered a bank in Springfield, New Jersey, and placed an object – which he claimed to be an explosive device – on the counter in front of a teller, demanding money and threatening to blow up the bank.
The teller, fearing for their safety, gave Abdullah cash, and he warned them not to follow him or sound the alarm. Law enforcement subsequently determined that the purported explosive device was an imitation explosive device.
The charges against Abdullah are serious, with each count of bank robbery carrying a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a fine of $250,000.
Abdullah was arrested and appeared before U.S. Magistrate Judge James B. Clark III in Newark federal court on July 20, 2023, where he was detained.
The investigation was led by special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge James E. Dennehy in Newark. The Springfield Police Department and the Elizabeth Police Department also provided assistance in the investigation.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Christopher Fell of the Narcotics/OCDETF Crimes Unit in Newark.
Abdullah is presumed innocent until proven guilty. The case is being prosecuted by the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of New Jersey.
Key Facts
- State: New Jersey
- Category: Fraud & Financial Crimes
- Source: DOJ Press Release â†â€â€
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