Home Newark Press Releases 2010 Willingboro Man Sentenced to More Than 19 Years in Prison for Orchestrating Three Bank Robberies and Bringing Guns into New...
Info
This is archived material from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) website. It may contain outdated information and links may no longer function.

Willingboro Man Sentenced to More Than 19 Years in Prison for Orchestrating Three Bank Robberies and Bringing Guns into New Jersey
Co-Conspirators Placed Hoax Calls to 911 to Divert Police Attention from Robberies

U.S. Attorney’s Office November 09, 2010
  • District of New Jersey (973) 645-2888

CAMDEN, NJ—Terrek Parker was sentenced today to 230 months in federal prison for orchestrating three armed bank robberies and bringing two firearms into New Jersey from Georgia, United States Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.

Parker, 24, of Willingboro, NJ, pled guilty on July 21, 2010, to one count of aiding and abetting an attempted bank robbery; two counts of aiding and abetting bank robberies; and one count of aiding and abetting the possession of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Parker also pleaded guilty to two counts of illegally transporting firearms from Georgia into New Jersey. He entered his guilty plea before U.S. District Judge Noel L. Hillman, who also imposed the sentence today in Camden federal court.

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

In September 2008, Parker recruited Tarik Mackins, 30, of Trenton, N.J., and Michael Barrett, 20, of Willingboro, to participate in bank robberies in which one of the co-conspirators would place hoax 911 calls in an attempt to lead police away from the targeted banks. Parker targeted the Sun National Bank in Maple Shade, N.J. for robbery on September 29, 2008. He had Barrett place a diversionary 911 call to the local police department before Mackins went into the bank armed with a revolver. When the three met later, Mackins told Parker that the bank had installed bandit barriers over the teller counter and that he was unable to get any money.

The team tried again on October 7, 2008, this time choosing the Columbia Savings Bank in Medford, N.J. Parker had Barrett place the diversionary call to the police and then drove by Mackins’ location, giving him a hand signal to proceed with the bank robbery. Mackins stole approximately $21,588 from the bank while carrying a chrome .38 revolver.

On October 20, 2008, the team hit the Commerce Bank in Cherry Hil, N.J. Prior to the robbery, Parker met with Mackins and Barrett and gave Mackins a book bag and a black mask. Parker told Mackins to wait for his signal that Barrett had placed the fake 911 call to the Cherry Hill Police Department. Mackins then stole approximately $26,372 from the bank while armed with a handgun. After a dye pack exploded inside the bag, the trio separated the clean money from the dye-stained money at Barrett’s residence. Barrett ran the bills through the washer and dryer in an attempt to clean them.

Parker also traveled from New Jersey to the Augusta, Georgia area sometime before July 23, 2008. While in Georgia, Parker directed two local residents to go to a federally licensed firearm dealership and purchase a Glock, Model 19, 9mm semi-automatic caliber handgun and Taurus, Model 66, .357 caliber revolver handgun, which Parker paid for and brought back to New Jersey.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Hillman ordered Parker to pay $47,960 in restitution and to serve five years of supervised release. Parker has been detained without bail since his indictment.

Parker’s sentence is to run consecutive to the sentence imposed on September 15, 2009. Parker was previously convicted of one count of conspiracy and five counts of aiding and abetting the making of false statements in the acquisition of firearms. Those charges stem from an Indictment which was returned on November 10, 2008, by a grand jury in the Southern District of Georgia and transferred to the District of New Jersey for the purposes of plea and sentencing.

Barrett pled guilty before Judge Hillman on October 5, 2009, to a three-count Information that charged him with aiding and abetting bank robberies. On September 15, 2009, Judge Hillman sentenced Barrett to 87 months in federal prison followed by three years of supervised release. Barrett was also ordered to pay $47,960 in restitution. Mackins pleaded guilty before Judge Hillman on August 13, 2009, to a four-count Information that charged him with one count of attempted bank robbery, two counts of bank robbery and one count of use of a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Mackins is scheduled to be sentenced on December 14, 2010.

U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI Trenton and South Jersey Resident Agencies, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Michael B. Ward in Newark, N.J. and Acting Special Agent in Charge Jayne L. Challman in Philadelphia, Pa., respectively; investigators with the Burlington County and Camden County Prosecutors’ Offices, under the direction of Prosecutors Robert D. Bernardi and Warren W. Faulk, respectively; police officers with the Police Departments of Maple Shade, Medford, Willingboro and Cherry Hill, N.J.; and special agents of the ATF in Georgia, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Gregory K. Gant.

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

This content has been reproduced from its original source.