Newark Man Pleads Guilty to 17 Armed Robberies, an Armed Carjacking, and a Shooting

NEWARK, NJ—A Newark, New Jersey man today admitted committing 17 armed robberies of commercial establishments throughout Union, Essex, and Bergen counties, U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman announced.
Bobby Dawson, 30, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge William H. Walls to a three-count information charging him with committing an armed carjacking, conspiring to commit Hobbs Act robberies, and discharging a firearm during the commission of one of those robberies.
According to the documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
Dawson conspired with others to rob commercial establishments as follows:

Business	Location	Date
Pao Da Terra	Newark	December 29, 2012
Lukoil	Newark	January 20, 2013
Newark Community Pharmacy	Newark	January 24, 2013
Linden Stationary	Linden	February 1, 2013
Delta Gas Station	Newark	February 1, 2013
Shoppers Express	Belleville	February 2, 2013
Krauszers	Kearny	February 10, 2013
Krauszers	Bloomfield	February 13, 2013
Pat’s Deli	Newark	February 19, 2013
Smashburger	Paramus	March 16, 2013
Krauszers	Bloomfield	March 29, 2013
MS&K Confectionery	Maplewood	April 1, 2013
Belleville News and Food	Belleville	April 17, 2013
South Wood Discount Liquor	Linden	April 17, 2013
Krauszers	West Orange	April 24, 2013
Newark Community Pharmacy	Newark	May 1, 2013
Subway Restaurant	Verona	May 20, 2013

Dawson and his conspirators robbed each of these establishments at gunpoint, stealing cash, cigarettes, and other items. In 15 of the 17 robberies, Dawson and his conspirators used zipties or duct tape to restrain their victims.
In the MS&K robbery on April 1, 2013, Dawson threatened the clerk of the store with a .380 caliber semi-automatic handgun. When the clerk resisted, Dawson fired his gun at the clerk, ordered the clerk to lie down, and then stole $9,000 from the cash register.
In the robbery of Krauszers in West Orange on April 24, 2013, Dawson and his conspirator tied up three individuals in the store with zipties before stealing approximately $600 and several cartons of cigarettes. Dawson injured a store employee by hitting the victim in the head with his firearm. The armed carjacking to which Dawson pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 15 years in prison. The Hobbs Act conspiracy to which Dawson pleaded guilty is punishable by a maximum potential penalty of 20 years in prison. The charge of discharging a firearm during a crime of violence is punishable by a maximum penalty of life in prison and a mandatory minimum sentence of 10 years in prison, which must run consecutively to any other prison term. Each count also carries a maximum fine of $250,000 or twice the gross gain or loss arising out of the offense. Sentencing is scheduled for March 11, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Fishman credited special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Aaron T. Ford in Newark, with the investigation leading to today’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Belleville, Bloomfield, Kearny, Linden, Maplewood, Newark, Paramus, Verona, and West Orange Police Departments, along with the New Jersey State Police and the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office for their work on this case. The government is represented by Assistant U.S. Attorneys Jamari Buxton and Rahul Agarwal of the U.S. Attorney’s Office Criminal Division in Newark.