Six defendants have all pleaded not guilty on Monday in Bergen County Superior Court for a burglary spree that went to homes in Englewood and Closter and also went into two other counties. Jamelle L. Singletary, Lawal Erskine, Bruce Anderson, David Tadjiev, Jamaal Sermon, and Janay C. Cole stood before Judge James Guida to plead. The 24 count indictment given to them in September was formalized after a nearly 9 month long investigation. They would all work in teams of 3 or 4 to burglarize the homes. The charges they are facing go from theft to money laundering as well as trafficking stolen property.
Under N.J.S.A. 2C:18-2 which is burglary. Burglary is the act of entering a structure or home that one does not have permission to be on. It is also entering any home, and not having permission to be there, it is a crime of the 3rd degree, but can be upgraded to a crime of the 2nd degree. A person found guilty of a crime of the 3rd will be looking at 3 to 5 years in New Jersey State Prison. It becomes a crime of the 2nd degree if a person threatens or hurts someone in the home and also has a deadly weapon. A person found guilty of a crime of the 2nd degree is looking at 5 to 10 years in New Jersey State Prison.
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