Newark – Acting Essex County Prosecutor Carolyn A. Murray announced today that Eliah Hawkins, 19, of Newark was sentenced to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison by the Honorable Siobhan A. Teare, Judge of the Superior Court.
Hawkins pled guilty to first degree robbery and second degree conspiracy. Under the No Early Release Act, Hawkins must serve 85 percent of his sentence before he is eligible for parole, according to Assistant Prosecutor Magdalen Czykier, who handled the case.
On May 20, 2015, Hawkins and another man robbed an airport employee as the man was waiting at the bus stop. They took the man’s wallet, Iphone 6, and other valuables. They left the scene. While going through the victim’s wallet they found a card for an Automatic Teller Machine and came back to the bus stop and took the man at gunpoint to the Wells Fargo bank on Broad Street in Newark, where he was forced to withdraw $320 in cash, Assistant Prosecutor Czykier said.
East Orange Police officers, detailed to the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office Narcotics Task Force Unit, riding in an unmarked car, noticed Hawkins holding and tugging at the victim’s shirt appearing to give him instructions. The officers approached the scene and were able to arrest Hawkins, Assistant Prosecutor Czykier said. The second man got away and was never charged.
The second robbery at the ATM was captured on video.
In sentencing today, Judge Teare denied the defense motion to sentence Hawkins a degree lower citing the defendant’s prior juvenile history.
“This prosecution was successful because of the cooperation of the victim and the quick thinking of the law enforcement officers, ’’ said Assistant Prosecutor Czykier.