Armed Robber Sentenced In Holdups Of 2 Passaic Co. Businesses: Feds

PASSAIC, NJ — A South Jersey man will spend 10 years in prison after admitting his role in a string of armed robberies in Passaic County, according to federal officials.

Kareem Powell, 32, of Willingboro is one of three men who have pleaded guilty in connection to the August 2022 robberies at businesses in Paterson and Passaic.

According to officials, the trio first robbed a bodega in Passaic of thousands of dollars on Aug. 22, while pointing their guns at a man and threatening to kill him. Later that evening, they also reportedly took several thousand dollars from a Paterson business. The defendants also "menaced customers with handguns and ordered them to lie on the ground" during both of these incidents, officials said.

Powell previously pleaded guilty to two counts of Hobbs Act robbery and one count of brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence.

This week, U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi sentenced him to 120 months in prison and three years of post-release supervision. Cecchi also ordered Porter to pay restitution to the victims.

Paterson residents Carlos Diaz and Edward Porter have already pleaded guilty in connection with these robberies and two other armed robberies the following day, U.S. Attorney John Giordano's office said Thursday. Their sentencings are scheduled for later this year.