Man Charged In Burglary Ring That Targeted Monmouth County

TINTON FALLS, NJ — A Newark man was part of a home invasion ring that targeted Wall, Sea Girt, Lakewood, Freehold and elsewhere this November, December and January, New Jersey Attorney General Matt Platkin said Wednesday.

Samir White, 19, of Newark, was taken into police custody Jan. 16, after State Police observed a 2024 BMW X7 that was reported stolen out of Freehold borough driving through Tinton Falls. Four men were inside the car.

State Police followed the BMW to Newark, where the occupants, including White, jumped out and ran. White was located hiding in a backyard, and was arrested. The other three men were not found.

The NJ State Police Motor Vehicle Crimes North Unit had been monitoring the ring for some time, and that's how the stolen BMW was spotted in Freehold two weeks ago, said the Attorney General's office. Police say the group committed break-ins and stole cars in Sea Girt, Wall Twp., Lakewood and elsewhere from November 18 through January 16.

Police say ring members used stolen vehicles to travel to Monmouth and Ocean counties, where they forced entry into homes using a crowbar. Once inside, the men stole expensive items and key fobs and then drove off in the homeowners' cars. Alleged burglaries include:

• White and others allegedly stole a 2023 BMW X7 valued at $75,000 from a Lakewood home on Nov. 18, 2024.

• On Dec. 9, 2024, White and others allegedly stole a BMW X3 valued at $75,000 from a home on Boston Boulevard in Sea Girt.

• On Dec. 11, 2024, White and others allegedly entered a residence on River Road, Wall Township, where they stole $10,000 worth of jewelry, a loaded firearm (Sig Sauer P365XL), purses, a key fob and a 2020 Porsche 911, valued at more than $75,000.

• On Dec. 13, 2024, White and others allegedly used the BMW-X3 stolen Dec. 9 in Sea Girt to travel to Bay Head in Ocean County to steal a 2020 Mercedes Benz G-Wagon, valued at more than $75,000. This vehicle was later recovered in the Bronx.

• On Dec. 22, 2024, White and others allegedly used various stolen vehicles to travel to Sea Girt, where they entered homes on Crescent Parkway and Washington Boulevard to obtain key fobs to steal more vehicles. A 2025 Range Rover, valued at more than $75,000, and designer clothes and sunglasses were stolen from one Crescent Parkway home; and a 2020 BMW X3, valued at $75,000, was stolen from a Washington Boulevard home.

• On Dec. 22, 2024, White and others forced entry into a home on Midland Avenue in East Orange and removed a key fob and the keys to a 2024 Audi RSQ8.

White is charged with first-degree home invasion burglary, four counts of residential burglary in the second degree, second-degree theft of motor vehicles, second-degree receiving a stolen vehicle, second-degree conspiracy to receive a stolen vehicle and fourth-degree resisting arrest by flight.

Home-invasion burglary is a new crime in New Jersey, which was just established in October 2024: Home invasion burglary refers to a person who enters a home to commit an offense and either inflicts bodily injury or is armed with a deadly weapon, whether or not that weapon is used. In this case, it was the crowbar the ring allegedly used to break into windows and doors.

Home-invasion burglary is a first-degree crime, punishable by 10 to 20 years in prison. It is a tougher criminal charge than the existing residential burglary, which is defined as "someone who enters a home to commit an offense" and is a second-degree crime, punishable by five to 10 years.

However, both classifications of burglary are subject to the “No Early Release Act,” which requires the convicted person to serve at least 85% of their jail term before becoming eligible for parole.

Since the new crime was created in late 2024, 17 people in New Jersey have been charged with it. Attorney General Platkin said the new law was created so there could be tougher penalties for people who break into homes and steal car key fobs, a problem that has been plaguing New Jersey for the past several years.

“(White) is charged under New Jersey’s new home invasion law, which was enacted to prevent exactly the kind of (alleged) illegal entry and burglary,” said Platkin this week. “New Jerseyans need to be protected from precisely this kind of invasive crime. People have a right to feel safe in their homes."