FREEHOLD – An Asbury Park man recently pleaded guilty to charges of armed robbery and kidnapping connecting him to a series of events that took place back in November 2016, according to Monmouth County Prosecutor Christopher J. Gramiccioni.
24-year old Hakiem K. Wadud pleaded guilty to one count of first degree Armed Robbery and one count of first degree Kidnapping before Monmouth County Superior Court Judge Ellen Torregossa-O’Connor on May 25.
The Prosecutor’s office is recommending that Wadud receive 18 years in state prison subject to the No Early Release Act (NERA), which would require him to serve 85 percent of the sentence before he is eligible for parole, under the terms of the plea agreement. It also advises that Wadud would also remain under parole supervision for five years following his release.
The plea agreement was completed in consultation and agreement with all his victims.
The series of events in November 2016 involved a joint investigation by the Monmouth County Prosecutor’s Office, Neptune Township Police Department, and Asbury Park Police Department. This investigation found that at around 11 p.m. on November 13, 2016, Wadud entered a car not belonging to him and pulled out a firearm. He proceeded to demand money from the two victims in the car.
After taking the money, Wadud demanded the driver take him to the Wawa convenience store on Routes 35 and 33 in Neptune Township. Wadud intended to use one of the victims for access to his bank account. He fled shortly after entering the store.
Later that evening, a store employee informed a Bradley Beach police officer of the incident while the officer was shopping in the store. The Bradley Beach police officer approached Wadud and detained him until Asbury Park and Neptune Township police officers arrived on scene to take him into custody.
Wadud is scheduled for sentencing on July 20, 2018. Wadud is represented by Robert Konzelmann, Esq., of Howell Township.
The case is assigned to Monmouth County Deputy First Assistant Michael Wojciechowski and Assistant Prosecutor Martha Nye.
