By: Tracie Carter
A Jersey City man has been sentenced to 22 years in New Jersey State Prison for carrying out a series of armed robberies targeting local businesses in 2022, Hudson County Prosecutor Wayne Mello announced.
Naji Thomas, 33, of Jersey City, was sentenced on Friday, June 5, by the Honorable Angelo Servidio following his conviction at trial on March 2, 2026.
A jury found Thomas guilty of four counts of first-degree armed robbery, four counts of unlawful possession of a weapon, and four counts of possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose.
Judge Servidio imposed two consecutive 11-year prison terms, resulting in a total sentence of 22 years.
The sentence is subject to New Jersey’s No Early Release Act, requiring Thomas to serve at least 85 percent of his sentence before becoming eligible for parole.
According to prosecutors, the robberies occurred on February 18, February 25, March 3, and March 17, 2022, at businesses throughout Jersey City.
In each incident, Thomas entered a storefront armed with a handgun and demanded money from employees.
Authorities said Thomas also stole cellphones during three of the four robberies.
The case was prosecuted by Hudson County Assistant Prosecutors Max Bosco and Priya Angara.
Hudson County officials said the sentence brings closure to a case involving multiple violent crimes that placed employees and business owners in fear while carrying out their daily work.