Man Nabbed In North Jersey Sex Assault Was Paroled After Stealing From Rapper '50 Cent'

JERSEY CITY, NJ — A man who was charged last month for sexually assaulting a woman in North Jersey had been paroled last year after burglarizing an apartment leased by rapper "50 Cent," documents show.

Richard Murphy, 35, was arrested by a SWAT Team and members of the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office in Jersey City on Aug. 8, prosecutors said last month. He was charged with aggravated sexual assault.

According to a complaint filed on July 27, a 37-year-old woman was heading home to New Jersey with a friend after they'd spent Saturday night in New York City. They took the PATH train back to the bustling downtown area of Jersey City.

As the woman walked home from the train station, according to the police report, she saw two men following her.

The men asked why she was alone "and told her they could take care of her," the report said. She told them to leave her alone.

As she arrived at her destination and tried to unlock the door, one of the men pushed her into the vestibule, lifted her skirt, and sexually penetrated her with his hand, she told police. She screamed, told him to stop, and punched him in the face.

Then, he punched her in her face, according to the report.

Police were called shortly after 11:30 p.m. on July 26. They found blood at the scene, they said.

The woman was taken to Jersey City Medical Center to be treated.

Richard Murphy, a resident of Kensington Avenue in Jersey City, was arrested 12 days later.

He was charged with aggravated sexual assault, assault, and burglary, prosecutors said. READ MORE: Man Arrested For Downtown Jersey City Sexual Assault

Murphy had been out of jail for a year and and five months after serving a partial sentence for stealing from a corporate apartment leased by rapper 50 Cent.

Served Time

On Jan. 16, 2021, according to the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office, three men broke into the Cliffside Park apartment and made off with jewelry and cash worth $3 million, which they'd grabbed from an unlocked safe.

In 2021, the rapper's attorney told TMZ, "At the time the suspects were in the unit, police drove by but did not realize the individuals were still inside. The entire matter was caught on surveillance cameras."

Murphy and the two others were charged in May 2021. By then, he was in the Hudson County jail for another offense.

Murphy pleaded guilty to second-degree theft and third-degree burglary, said Deputy Chief Jeff Angermeyer of the Bergen County Prosecutor's Office.

He was sentenced to five years in prison on Aug. 11, 2023, but released on parole on Feb. 9, 2024.

It was a year and five months later that he assaulted the Jersey City woman.

The Hudson County Prosecutor's Office confirmed on Tuesday that Murphy is still incarcerated in the Hudson County Correctional Facility.

'Horrific'

"This was a horrific crime, and I am glad the police acted swiftly to make an arrest," said downtown Jersey City Councilman James Solomon. "Everyone deserves to feel and be safe in their own community. I remain committed to do everything I can to ensure that."

Jersey City officials have said that overall crime has declined in the past 10 years, although the city has also been criticized about how it releases statistics. Violent crime statistics are now posted on the city website.

The state's Uniform Crime Report says there were 207 assaults reported in Jersey City from January through March of 2024. The city's website says that there were 248 aggravated assaults reported in the first three months of the current year.

Anyone wishing to report a sex crime should call the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office Special Victims Unit (SVU) at 201-915-1234.