Carney’s Point Woman Sentenced to 24 Months in Prison for Her Role in Four Southern N.J. Bank Robberies

CAMDEN—A Carney’s Point woman was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison today for her role in planning and committing four bank robberies in southern N.J., U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

U.S. District Judge Robert B. Kugler also ordered Jenny Hedden, 30, to pay $12,142 in restitution and to serve three years of supervised release upon the completion of his prison term.

Hedden pleaded guilty before Judge Kugler on Aug. 3, 2009, to a one-count Information that charged her with bank robbery, specifically for the April 18, 2009, robbery of a Sun National Bank branch in Vineland of approximately $8,957. Hedden, however, also admitted her involvement in four additional bank robberies, and all of the conduct was taken into consideration by Judge Kugler at sentencing.

At her plea hearing, Hedden admitted that on April 18, 2009, while at home with her boyfriend, Howard Hiles, 34, of Carney’s Point, and Dustin Corney, 32, of Hopewell, Cumberland County, they all planned to rob a bank. As part of their plan to commit the bank robbery, Hedden admitted that she wrote a demand note that said something to the effect of “This is a robbery. Put all the money in the bag.” Hiles then took the demand note and Hedden’s car keys and left with Corney and drove to a Sun National Bank branch in Vineland.

Hiles pleaded guilty before Judge Kugler on Aug. 14, 2009, to a one-count Information that charged him with bank robbery, specifically for the April 18, 2009, robbery of a Sun National Bank branch in Vineland. On Nov. 24, 2009, Judge Kugler sentenced Hiles to 64 months in federal prison, $12,527 in restitution and ordered him to serve three years of supervised release. Corney pleaded guilty before Judge Kugler on Oct. 23, 2009, to one count of bank robbery, for the same April 18, 2009, robbery of the Sun National Bank branch and was sentenced on Feb. 18, 2010, to 38 months in federal prison, $11,010 in restitution and 3 years of supervised release.

At their plea hearings, Hiles and Corney admitted that Corney went into the bank, wearing a motorcycle helmet, and passed the demand note to a teller, who in return gave him money from the teller’s draw, he admitted. The two men then returned to Hedden’s residence and dumped out a pile of money onto a table. Corney admitted that they all took some of the proceeds of the bank robbery and bought heroin.

In addition to the April 18 bank robbery, Hedden, Hiles and Corney admitted committing the following bank robberies:

• May 11, 2009, the TD Bank in Gloucester Township, of $385;
• May 11, 2009, the Ocean City Home Bank in Marmora, of $1,668.

In addition, Hedden and Hiles admitted committing the following bank robberies:

• May 4, 2009, the Harvest Community Bank in Pennsville, of approximately $1,500;
• May 18, 2009, the Newfield Bank in Hopewell Township, of $1,685.

In determining the actual sentences, Judge Kugler consulted the advisory U.S. Sentencing Guidelines, which provide appropriate sentencing ranges that take into account the severity and characteristics of the offense, the defendant’s criminal history, if any, and other factors. The judge, however, is not bound by those guidelines in determining a sentence.

Parole has been abolished in the federal system. Defendants who are given custodial terms must serve nearly all that time.

Fishman credited Special Agents of the FBI’s South Jersey Resident Agency and Atlantic City Resident Agency, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Janice K. Fedarcyk in Philadelphia and Acting Special Agent in Charge Kevin B. Cruise in Newark, respectively; Troopers with the New Jersey State Police, under the direction of Col. Joseph R. Fuentes, Superintendent; and police officers with the Police Departments of Pennsville, Gloucester Township and Vineland, with the investigation.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason M. Richardson of the Criminal Division in Camden.