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Alfuquan Turner, 46, of Newark took his chances with a jury rather than take a deal from the government after he was charged with robbing the Harrison Cab Company on Frank E. Rodgers Boulevard in Sept. 2019.
Turner had his face covered with a plastic bag when he demanded money from the dispatcher, who told him there wasn't any in the office, prosecutors told jurors in U.S. District Court in Newark earlier this year.
Turner tried to stab the victim, who fought back when he took her cell phone, surveillance video shows.
He then hit her in the face, pushed her to the ground and asked if she wanted to die, the prosecutors said.
Turner then choked the victim until she lost consciousness, after which he stole her jewelry, cell phone and other items, they said.
Turner, who had four prior felony convictions -- two of them for robbery -- was ultimately convicted in June of Hobbs Act robbery, U.S. Attorney for New Jersey Philip R. Sellinger said.
He must serve out the entire sentence handed down by U.S. District Judge William J. Martini because there's no parole in the federal prison system.
In addition to the prison term, Martin sentenced Turner to three years of supervised release.
Sellinger credited special agents of the FBI, investigators of the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, Harrison police and NJTRANSIT police for the investigation leading to the verdict and sentence, secured by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Shontae D. Gray and Sophie E. Reiter.
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