Somerset County Man Convicted of Armed Robbery

A Somerset County man has been found guilty of first-degree armed robbery and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to the Somerset County Prosecutor’s Office.

Stephen Maurrasse, 25, of Somerville, was found guilty by a Somerset County jury after a five-day trial.

On Feb. 12, 2012, Somerville Police responded to a report of an armed robbery at 129 Fairview Ave. in Somerville. Upon arrival, police met the victim of a robbery, who claimed two men brandishing knives robbed him in the hallway of a multi-unit apartment, Somerset County Prosecutor Geoffrey D. Soriano said. The two men stole $2,500 from the victim and then fled on foot.

The victim said he searched Craigslist, a classified advertisement website, in hopes of buying Apple products. He made contact with a purported seller in Somerville and was then told to report to the Fairview Avenue location by one of the suspects, the prosecutor’s office said. The number posted on Craigslist by the would-be seller was a phone used by Maurrasse.

Investigators found that Maurrasse and codefendant Jeremy Grant were responsible for the armed robbery. Grant was identified by the victim from a photo line-up. The two men were then arrested at their residences on Fairview Avenue on Feb. 28, 2012, authorities said.

Grant was convicted in January 2014 on charges of first-degree armed robbery and third-degree possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose, according to the prosecutor’s office. He was sentenced to 15 years in state prison.

Maurrasse faces a maximum sentence of 20 years in New Jersey state prison, with 85 percent needing to be served before being eligible for parole.