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Ex-con Lamont Moseley, who at 30 years old has six previous convictions, was sentenced Friday in Hackensack to six years — a little over five of which he must serve before he can be eligible for parole.
However, Superior Court Judge Edward Jerejian approved 605 days of credit for time he’s spent in the Bergen County Jail since the arrests, meaning he could be out in less than 4½ years.
His girlfriend, 31-year-old Samantha Dixon, was sentenced to five years but given 641 days of jail-time credit, making her parole-eligible in 2½ years.
Both must remain on supervised parole for three years after their releases, under the terms of her deals with prosecutors.
Authorities in Passaic County have charged them with TD Bank holdups in Haledon and Totowa. Moseley also confessed to a December 2011 robbery of a Paterson branch, authorities said.
Lawyers for both secured agreements to serve their sentences concurrently with the Bergen County convictions — meaning no additional prison time.
Moseley handled tellers notes that said “This is a robbery”in Elmwood Park (Midland Avenue/March 15) and Fair Lawn (River Road/Feb. 26) and made off with cash while Dixon was the getaway driver. They then switched roles in Maywood (Maywood Avenue/March 27).
Given the opportunity to speak for himself Friday, Moseley didn’t.
Dixon’s lawyer blamed him for his client’s situation.
Dixon worked hard most of her life, following her parents’ example, but lost her job in 2013, met Moseley and began taking drugs, defense attorney N.W. Gray told Superior Court Judge Edward Jerejian.
For her part, Dixon said: “I’m sorry that I committed these offenses. I didn’t intend to hurt anyone.
“I have been in the Bergen County Jail for 20 months and I have earned several certificates. I took every course I could and attended every AA meeting. I am trying to better myself, and I’m sorry.”
The judge called her lucky.
“People do 20, 30 or 40 years for bank robbery,” he told Dixon. “You got a very favorable [plea] deal.
“With no prior record, your behavior just makes no sense,” Jerejian added. “Starting out with no record, all of a sudden you up and commit three bank robberies. I hear things like this every day and again, it makes no sense.”
Both were arrested as they emerged from their River Street apartment in Paterson on May 29.
Working closely with Fair Lawn and Hackensack police, Maywood detectives first pegged Dixon, Maywood Detective Sgt. Timothy Moran told CLIFFVIEW PILOT at the time. “We thought there might be a boyfriend-girlfried connection there,” he said.
The investigators eventually identified Moseley, who fit the description of a 6-foot, 170-pound man who wore a hoodie and dark cap while robbing the other banks.
Disxon and Moseley each pleaded guilty under their deals to three counts of bank robbery and the use of force in the course of committing a theft, acknowledging that the threatening notes were intended to intimidate tellers and put them in fear for their safety if they didn’t hand over the money.
As part of their agreements, they were also sentenced to pay restitution: $1,200 to the Maywood TD Bank branch, $4,550 to the Elmwood Park branch and $2,896 to the one in Fair Lawn, Assistant Bergen County Prosecutor Nicole Eiszner said.
STORY / PHOTO: CLIFFVIEW PILOT Courthouse Reporter Mary K. Miraglia
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