2 NJ Men Charged In Trio Of Gunpoint Robberies In Passaic County: Feds

PATERSON, NJ - Two North Jersey men robbed a pair of bodegas and a liquor store at gunpoint over the course of two days in August, federal officials said.

Carlos Diaz, 30, and Edward Porter, 30, both of Paterson, were each charged by criminal complaint with one count of conspiracy to obstruct commerce by robbery and one count of using, carrying, and brandishing a firearm during and in relation to a crime of violence, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger said.

Both were detained following an appearance on Monday before U.S. Magistrate Judge José R. Almonte in Newark federal court.

On Aug. 22, 2022, Diaz, Porter, and a third individual robbed several thousand dollars from a Passaic bodega while threatening customers with handguns and ordering them to lie on the ground, Sellinger said.

The next evening, Diaz and Porter also robbed a Passaic liquor store of several thousand dollars at gunpoint, during which Porter pistol-whipped a victim, Sellinger said. The same night, Diaz and Porter robbed another bodega at gunpoint. While inside the store, Porter pushed one victim and wrestled with a different victim, dragging the victim to the floor while attempting to take the victim’s handbag.

The count of brandishing a firearm during a crime of violence carries a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison, Sellinger said. Conspiracy to obstruct commerce by robbery carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine.

Diaz and Porter were arrested on Sept. 9, and have been in custody in Passaic County since, Sellinger added.