35°
Anthony Clark, 42, was convicted of first-degree armed robbery in February after a five-week trial, Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni said.
Clark was sentenced on Wednesday afternoon by Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Ellen Torregrossa-O’Connor.
Clark was additionally convicted of criminal restraint, possession of a handgun for an unlawful purpose, theft of movable property and receiving stolen property.
At trial, it was revealed that Clark and four co-defendants drove from Philadelphia to Ocean Township on Sept. 6, 2016, in a stolen motor vehicle with plans to rob the AT&T store located on Route 35, Gramiccioni said.
In total, Clark and his co-conspirators stole more than $130,000 worth of store merchandise, the prosecutor said.
Clark, posing as a customer, entered the store first and goaded a store employee into the far corner of the store under the guise of purchasing a cellphone, according to Gramiccioni.
Three of Clark's co-conspirators entered the store and forced two store employees into a back inventory room at gunpoint, Gramiccioni said.
The store employees were forced to their knees and bound about their hands and feet with zip ties, according to the prosecutor.
While Clark's co-conspirators proceeded to zip tie the staff members at gunpoint, Clark kept watch in the front of the store while communicating with another co-conspirator who was parked across the highway, according to Gramiccioni.
Clark filled numerous laundry bags with store merchandise, which was loaded into the stolen motor vehicle, the prosecutor said.
The case was prosecuted by Monmouth County Assistant Prosecutors Joshua D. Detzky and Keri-Leigh Schaefer.
Clark's lawyers are Allison Friedman and Anthony Cherry of Freehold.
Click here to follow Daily Voice Hamilton Township and receive free news updates.
