Tione Davis, 35, of East Orange, and Meschach Whager, 29, of Newark were arrested after the FBI began investigating about 20 armed robberies at convenience stores and gas stations during the time, the U.S. Attorney's Office said in a statement.
Two Essex County men face federal charges for allegedly robbing six businesses in northern and central New Jersey over three-week period.
Tione Davis, 35, of East Orange, and Meschach Whager, 29, of Newark were arrested after the FBI began investigating 20 armed robberies at convenience stores and gas stations, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said in a statement.
Both men have been in custody since December when they were arrested on similar robbery charges following a pursuit and crash in Morris County. Two guns recovered from the vehicle matched the description of the weapons used to commit the robberies, officials said.
According to court records, Davis would wear dark clothing and cover his face during the robberies, brandish a handgun, and demand money from clerks. Whager acted as the getaway driver.
The robberies, which took place in Middlesex, Morris, Bergen, Union, Hudson and Passaic counties, occurred between Nov. 23 and Dec. 11. At least $1,800 was taken during the incidents.
Officials say all the robberies happened between 2 and 6 a.m. Phone numbers associated with both Davis and Whager were traced to the general area of where 13 of the robberies they were investigating took place.
Following their arrests, the Bayonne Police Department charged the men in connection with a Dec. 8 robbery at an Avenue E deli.
Officials have not released the towns or specific locations of where the robberies occurred that brought the federal charges, but the Hudson County incident appears to be related to the Dec. 11 armed robbery at the Bergen Avenue Quick Chek.
Davis and Whager each face six counts of Hobbs Act robbery, conspiracy, and using a firearm to commit a crime. The men could face up to 20 years in prison for each robbery offense.
U.S. Attorney Craig Carpenito credited the FBI, the Morris, Union, Middlesex, Hudson, Passaic, Bergen, and Essex County prosecutor’s offices, as well as the police departments in Morris Plains, Springfield, Middlesex, Lodi, Roselle Park, Rahway, Parsippany, Rockaway, Mahwah, Elmwood Park, Bayonne, West Orange, East Brunswick, South River, Edison, Hoboken, Union, Clark, Kearny, Clifton, and Maplewood with assisting in the investigation.
Caitlin Mota may be reached at cmota@jjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @caitlin_mota. Find The Jersey Journal on Facebook.
http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2018/05/men_face_federal_charges_for_armed_robbery_spree.html