Jersey City Man Pleads Guilty to Armed Robbery of Jewelry Store

TRENTON, NJ—A Jersey City man admitted today to committing an armed robbery of a jewelry store in Hudson County, New Jersey, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Mouhamadou Lamine Amar, 20, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Mary L. Cooper in Trenton federal court to an indictment charging him with committing a Hobbs Act robbery and with brandishing a firearm during the robbery.

According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On June 28, 2013, Amar entered a jewelry store in Jersey City and held a gun to a store employee’s head. He grabbed and pushed the employee when the employee tried to flee. He tied up the employee and threatened to shoot the employee if the employee tried to escape. Amar was arrested inside the store while still in possession of the firearm.

The Hobbs Act robbery count to which Amar pleaded guilty carries a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The count of brandishing a firearm during a violent crime carries a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of seven years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other prison term. Each count also carries a maximum $250,000 fine or twice the gross gain or loss arising out of the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for July 10, 2014.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents, detectives and investigators assigned to the Joint Terrorism Task Force (JTTF), under the direction of FBI Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. The JTTF is composed of law enforcement officers from numerous federal, state, and local agencies throughout New Jersey. U.S. Attorney Fishman also thanked the Jersey City Police Department and the Hudson County Prosecutor’s Office for their work on this case.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Andrew Kogan of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.