NEWARK, N.J. - A Newark man today admitted robbing five banks in October and November 2016, Acting U.S. Attorney William E. Fitzpatrick announced.
Jermaine Mason, a/k/a “Asim Harris," 39, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William J. Martini in Newark federal court to an information charging him with five counts of bank robbery.
According to documents filed in this case and statements made in court, Mason robbed the following banks on the dates set forth below:
Bank
Location
Date
Kearny Bank
Harrison
Oct. 21, 2016
PNC Bank
Jersey City
Nov. 3, 2016
Popular Community Bank
Newark
Nov. 17, 2016
Provident Bank
Jersey City
Nov. 18, 2016
Provident Bank
Kearny
Nov. 29, 2016
Mason admitted that during each of the above robberies, he either presented a note demanding cash from bank tellers or verbally demanded money.
The bank robbery charges each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison and a $250,000 fine. Sentencing is scheduled for Aug. 29, 2017.
Mason was originally arrested by state authorities on Nov. 30, 2016 and has been in custody since that time. Prior to his arrest, he was on federal supervised release for a federal bank robbery conviction after he robbed several banks in 2006 and 2007.
Acting U.S. Attorney Fitzpatrick credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Timothy Gallagher in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the U.S. Marshals, the Kearny, Jersey City, Harrison, and Newark police departments, as well as the Hudson County and Essex County Prosecutor’s Offices for their efforts in the investigation and apprehension of Mason.
The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason S. Gould of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.
Defense counsel: Kevin Carlucci Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark
Source: U.S. Department of Justice, Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
