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Press Release

Passaic County, New Jersey, Man Sentenced To 92 Months In Prison For String Of Bank Robberies

For Immediate Release
U.S. Attorney's Office, District of New Jersey

TRENTON, N.J. – A Passaic, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 92 months in prison for robbing six banks in Hudson, Union, and Passaic counties in June and July of 2016, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Quentin Morales, a/k/a “Quinton Morales,” 27, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Peter G. Sheridan to an information charging him with three counts of bank robbery. He also admitted to robbing two additional banks and attempting to rob another. Judge Sheridan imposed the sentence today in Trenton federal court.

Prior to his arrest in August 2016, Morales was one of Newark FBI’s most wanted bank robbers.

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

 Morales robbed, or attempted to rob, the following New Jersey banks:

Bank

Location

Date

Wells Fargo Bank

Kearny, New Jersey

June 24, 2016

Capital One Bank (attempted)

Elizabeth, New Jersey

June 27, 2016

Wells Fargo Bank

Kenilworth, New Jersey

June 30, 2016

Wells Fargo Bank

Linden, New Jersey

July 6, 2016

Wells Fargo Bank

Clifton, New Jersey

July 13, 2016

Wells Fargo Bank

Union, New Jersey

July 25, 2016

At each bank, Morales presented a note demanding cash from bank tellers. For example, during the June 24, 2016, robbery, Morales handed the teller a note stating “You are being robbed. Give me all the large bills you have, no alarms, no noise.” On at least two occasions, Morales said he had a gun and urged bank tellers to hurry. He was apprehended on Aug. 2, 2016, by officers of the N.J. State Parole Board.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Sheridan sentenced Morales to three years of supervised release and ordered to pay restitution of $9,217.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI’s Violent Crimes/Interstate Theft Task Force, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory W. Ehrie in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing. He also thanked the N.J. State Parole Board and the Kearny, Elizabeth, Kenilworth, Linden, Clifton, Union Township and Newark police departments, as well as the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for their efforts in the investigation and apprehension of Morales.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Elisa Wiygul of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Trenton.

Defense counsel: Linda D. Foster Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender (Newark)

Updated June 26, 2018

Press Release Number: 18-227