JACKSON — Two individuals were charged with armed robbery after an alleged attempt by three other people to purchase heroin went awry.
According to information provided by the Jackson Police Department, officers were called to a convenience store on South New Prospect Road at 11:19 p.m. March 3 to investigate a reported armed robbery.
According to police, Michael Carrier of Jackson reported that he had previously been robbed at gunpoint by an acquaintance,
Brett White of Jackson, at a convenience store at 2038 West County Line Road.
Carrier gave police officers a description and license plate for White’s vehicle, which he had last seen in the area of the Harmony Farms development.
Ashort time later Howell police officers, who had responded to assist, located the suspect’s vehicle near Building 7 of the Regency Club apartments on South New Prospect Road.
The occupants of the vehicle, White, Ciera Smith, and a juvenile from West Orange, were taken into custody by Jackson police officers without incident, according to the press release.
Police did not provide a gender for the juvenile.
Police said Carrier and his two companions, Danny Reed and Nikki Pascocello, both of Jackson, all reported to officers that Carrier had been approached by White and the juvenile in the parking lot of the convenience store on West County Line Road.
They reported that the juvenile produced a handgun, pressed it into Carrier’s abdomen and demanded his money and the contents of his pockets.
They reported that Carrier turned over $250 in cash and said White and the juvenile fled in a white Buick Century that was also occupied by a female who was later identified as Smith.
The victims reported that they had followed the vehicle to Hickory Hill Road, where they were able to observe the vehicle’s license plate, and subsequently contacted police.
Further investigation by police determined that Carrier, Reed and Pascocello had contacted White in an attempt to purchase $250 worth of heroin.
According to police, White, Smith and the juvenile then planned to rob Carrier, Reed and Pascocello of their cash.
Upon meeting with White and the juvenile at the Regency Club Apartments on Brewers Bridge Road, Reed was robbed of $250 and an iPod by the juvenile who produced a handgun and demanded the money and the contents of Reed’s pockets.
Police said a search of the suspects at the scene (the Regency Club Apartments) located a portion of the proceeds from the robbery. A subsequent search of the vehicle located a loaded .380 caliber handgun with the serial number removed, an iPod and a quantity of methylenedioxymethamphetamine tablets (commonly known as Ecstasy).
According to police, the juvenile was charged with armed robbery, aggravated assault, unlawful possession of a weapon, possession of a weapon for an unlawful purpose and possession of a defaced firearm. The juvenile was lodged in the Ocean County Juvenile Detention facility.
White was charged with armed robbery and lodged in the Ocean County jail in default of $200,000 bail.
Smith was charged with conspiracy to commit armed robbery and possession of a controlled dangerous substance and lodged in the Ocean County jail in default of $100,000 bail .
Carrier, Reed and Pascocello were each charged with hindering apprehension and conspiracy to possess a controlled dangerous substance. Theywere each released on a summons.
The investigation was conducted by detectives Frank Menendez, Mitch Cowit and Michael Kelley and Detective Lt. John Siedler.
Sgts. Donald Clark and John McBride and Police Officers John Rodriguez, William Simon, Michael Goelz, Louis Notare, Michael Friedman, Alexander Crinnian DerekGorski and Christopher Schindler conducted the arrests.