Galloway Men Sentenced to Prison for Armed Robbery of Teens in 2014

MAYS LANDING – Two Galloway Township men were sentenced to prison last month for the armed robbery last year of two teenagers, Atlantic County Prosecutor Jim McClain announced today.

On February 21, 2014, shortly after 11:00 p.m., Galloway Township police received a report from two Galloway Township teenagers that they—and a third person, later identified as John D. Harvey Jr., then 21, of Cheshire Drive, Galloway—had been robbed at gunpoint an hour and a half earlier, while on the walking path near Colonial Court. The two victims said that the man was armed with a handgun, and took their cash and electronics, and took a bag containing a laptop and digital camera from Harvey.

A two-week investigation led to the arrests of John D. Harvey Jr. on March 7, 2014, and of Abdul L. Parker, 43, of Cheshire Drive, Galloway, on March 8th, for the robbery.

The State alleged that Harvey lured the two teenagers to the walking path on the pretense that he had arranged for the two victims to meet a person who would sell them marijuana, and that he pretended to be robbed by Parker, along with the two victims.

On May 13, 2014, an Atlantic County Grand Jury indicted both men for robbery and conspiracy to commit robbery.

Harvey entered a guilty plea to robbery before Atlantic County Superior Judge Mark Sandson on September 15, 2014; Parker pled guilty the morning of jury selection for trial, on February 18, 2015.

On May 22, 2015, Judge Mark Sandson sentenced Abdul L. Parker to 15 years of incarceration in New Jersey State prison.

Pursuant to the No Early Release Act (NERA), Parker must serve 85% of the robbery sentence—12 years and 9 months—before becoming eligible for parole. Upon release, Parker will be subject to 5 years of parole supervision.

On May 29, 2015, Judge Sandson sentenced John D. Harvey Jr. to 5 years of incarceration in New Jersey State prison. Pursuant to NERA, Harvey must serve 85% of the sentence—4 years and 3 months—before becoming eligible for parole.

Assistant Prosecutor Raphael Ortega represented the State in the matter. 

Anyone with information involving serious crimes is asked to call the Atlantic County Prosecutor’s Office at 609-909-7800 or go to the Prosecutor’s Office Web site at http://www.acpo.org/tips.html and provide information by filling out the form anonymously on the Submit a Tip page. People can also call Crime Stoppers at 609-652-1234 or 1-800-658-8477 (TIPS) or visit the Crime Stoppers Website at http://www.crimestoppersatlantic.com/. Crime Stoppers offers cash rewards for information leading to the arrest and indictment of those who commit crimes in Atlantic County.