Man Sentenced In Late-Night Attack, Robbery Of Brick Man

BRICK, NJ — A Brooklyn man has been sentenced to 12-1/2 years in prison in a Brick Township robbery that happened in 2023, the Ocean County Prosecutor's Office said.

Vongvichit Vatthanavong, 50, of Brooklyn, New York, was sentenced Friday by Superior Court Judge Kenneth T. Palmer for his May 23 guilty plea to one count of robbery in the incident, Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer said.

Vatthanavong's sentence is subject to the No Early Release Act, which requires he serve 85 percent of the sentence before he is eligible for parole.

Authorities say Vatthanavong and two others attacked a man in his driveway on Pershing Avenue about 12:20 a.m. on Jan. 5, 2023 as the man got out of his vehicle to go into his home. All three were wearing masks and one appeared to be armed with a handgun, the victim told authorities.

One of the suspects hit the victim in the head and knocked him to the ground, then the three stole about $3,000 in cash, a watch and a cell phone from the victim before running away, authorities said.

Brick Township detectives identified Vatthanavong as one of the three involved in the robbery, authorities said. He voluntarily appeared at Brick Township Police Headquarters for questioning on Feb. 7, 2024, and was arrested and charged, authorities said.

He was taken to the Ocean County Jail and has remained there through the case, the prosecutor's office said.

The other two suspects in the robbery have yet to be identified.