Essex County, New Jersey, Man Sentenced To 18 Years In Prison For Armed Robbery And Carjacking

U.S. Attorney’s Office
District of New Jersey
11 April 2018

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

NEWARK, N.J. – An Essex County, New Jersey, man was sentenced today to 216 months in prison for robbing a Newark jewelry store and then stealing a car at gunpoint immediately afterwards, U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito announced.

Orlando Nieves-Velez, 30, of Newark, previously pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Claire C. Cecchi to an indictment charging him with one count of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of carjacking, and one count of using a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence. Judge Cecchi imposed the sentence today in Newark federal court.

According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:

On Dec. 1, 2016, Nieves-Velez robbed a jewelry store in Newark while brandishing a firearm. During the robbery, Nieves-Velez pressed a gun to the back of an employee’s neck and threatened to shoot him if the other employees didn’t give him jewelry.

After leaving the store with more than $20,000 in jewelry, Nieves-Velez stepped in front of a 2006 Nissan Altima. Nieves-Velez pointed his gun at the driver and ordered the driver out of the car. Nieves-Velez fired his gun into the air before fleeing in the Altima.

In addition to the prison term, Judge Cecchi sentenced Nieves-Velez to five years of supervised release and ordered him to pay restitution of $95,000.

U.S. Attorney Carpenito credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Acting Special Agent in Charge Bradley W. Cohen in Newark, the U.S. Marshals Service, under the direction of U.S. Marshal Juan Mattos in Newark, and the Newark Department of Public Safety, under the direction of Director Anthony F. Ambrose, with the investigation leading to today’s sentencing.

The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorney Sammi Malek of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.

Defense Counsel: Kevin Carlucci Esq., Assistant Federal Public Defender, Newark

Press Release Number:
18-143