NEWARK, NJ — Deion Nance, a 28-year-old man from Essex County, New Jersey, has pleaded guilty to multiple violent crimes, including two armed robberies and an armed carjacking. U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced the plea, which was entered before U.S. District Judge Susan D. Wigenton on June 27, 2024.
The charges against Nance include two counts of Hobbs Act robbery, one count of carjacking, and two counts of using and carrying a firearm during a crime of violence. These incidents occurred at the end of 2020 and the beginning of 2021, starting with a carjacking on December 30, 2020, where Nance stole a 2016 Toyota Corolla at gunpoint, assaulting the vehicle’s occupant in the process.
Following the carjacking, Nance continued his crime spree on January 4, 2021, robbing two restaurants. In the first incident, he pointed a loaded gun at an employee and took $176. He then attempted another robbery at a different restaurant on the same day by threatening another employee with a firearm.
The carjacking charge could result in a maximum of 15 years in prison, while the Hobbs Act robbery is punishable by up to 20 years. The firearms offenses carry a statutory minimum of five years, which must be served consecutively to any other sentence, and could extend up to a life sentence. Each count also carries a potential $250,000 fine, or twice the gross gain or loss from the offenses.
Sentencing is scheduled for October 29, 2024. The successful plea is attributed to the collaborative efforts of the Newark and Harrison police departments, along with the FBI Newark Field Division under the direction of James E. Dennehy. Assistant U.S. Attorney Megan Linares of the Organized Crime and Gangs unit is representing the government in this case.