Hackensack Man Convicted Of Gunpoint Robbery At Secaucus Gas Station

SECAUCUS, NJ — On Tuesday, a jury convicted a Hackensack man for a string of armed robberies he committed across Hudson County in 2022 — and one of them was a gas station on Rt. 3 in Secaucus.

The man is Joel Krecz, 37, of Hackensack. A jury found him guilty Tuesday of four counts of armed robbery and other charges. He will be sentenced Jan. 17.

All four armed robberies occurred on one night: Between the late night hours of Friday, April 29 into the early morning hours of Saturday, April 30, 2022. In each incident, Krecz showed a gun and demanded cash from the clerk.

According to Hudson County Prosecutor Esther Suarez:

• He robbed a liquor store on Summit Avenue in Union City on Saturday, April 30, 2022.
• He robbed at gas station on Rt. 3 in Secaucus. Police say he robbed the Shell gas station on Rt. 3 at gunpoint at 2:27 a.m. April 30. He stole $279.81 in cash, several boxes of VUse tobacco and Dutch Master brand wrap from the Shell convenience store. He also stole the necklace off the gas station attendant and took $160 in cash from the attendant, said police.
• He robbed a business on Paterson Plank Road in Union City on Saturday, April 30, 2022.
• He robbed a liquor store on Willow Avenue in Hoboken on Saturday, April 30, 2022.

He was initially charged with a fifth armed robbery, of a store on Rt. 440 in Jersey City on April 29, but he was not convicted on that charge.

Krecz was arrested in Jersey City, while in possession of a handgun, in May of 2022.

Prosecutor Suarez said the arrest of Krecz was the result of police in various Hudson County towns working together, including Secaucus Police, Jersey City Police, Union City Police and more.

Initial Patch report on this: New Details Released On Secaucus Gas Station Robbery On April 30