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On Dec. 4, 2021, Melvin Banks was scheduled to return a Mercedes S580 to the owner of a luxury car rental service in Riverdale at 9 p.m. Morris County Prosecutor Robert J. Carroll, First Assistant Prosecutor Maggie Calderwood, Chief of Detectives Robert McNally, and Riverdale Police Chief Charles Quant Jr. said.
At 9:31 p.m., the owner was robbed at gunpoint by co-defendant Daniel Lind. Lind fired the gun and took $100,000 in jewelry and cell phones, authorities said. Lind then fled the scene into a getaway vehicle driven by Banks, authorities said.
Surveillance footage showed Banks and Lind at The Home Depot purchasing black gloves and cable ties and returning to the scene of the robbery to await the victim's arrival, authorities said.
As Riverdale police began their investigation, Banks sent messages threatening to harm the victim and their family if they did not drop the charges, authorities said. Lind pleaded guilty to robbery and unlawful possession of a weapon and was sentenced to eight years in prison, authorities said.
Banks was convicted of conspiracy, armed robbery, theft of a motor vehicle and witness tampering. He is scheduled to be sentenced next month and is being held at the Morris County Correctional Facility pending sentencing.
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