Newark, N.J. – Two men from Hudson County, New Jersey, have been sentenced to significant prison terms for their roles in a series of armed gas station robberies and an attempted carjacking, U.S. Attorney Philip R. Sellinger announced today.
Wendell Bradley Jr., 27, of Bayonne, received a sentence of 160 months in federal prison from U.S. District Judge Madeline Cox Arleo on October 10, 2024. Joseph Brown, 26, of Jersey City, was sentenced to 92 months on October 3, 2024. Both men pleaded guilty to multiple charges related to their criminal activities.
The criminal spree occurred between January 3 and February 4, 2022. According to court documents, Bradley and Brown employed a consistent method during their robberies:
Approach: They would drive to various gas stations and request fuel from the attendants.
Robbery: While the gas tanks were being filled, they would brandish firearms and demand money.
In one particularly alarming incident on January 20, 2022, in Union, Brown threatened a gas station attendant with a gun and stated he would kill him. Although Bradley attempted to restrain the attendant, the victim managed to escape unharmed.
The duo’s crime wave came to an end following a robbery at a gas station in Secaucus. Key events included:
- A police chase that began in Secaucus and ended in Newark.
- Bradley crashing their getaway car.
- Both suspects fleeing on foot.
An attempted carjacking by Bradley against an off-duty Essex County Sheriff’s officer.
The officer successfully disarming Bradley and detaining him.
Judge Arleo’s sentences included three years of supervised release for both men after they complete their prison terms.
Bradley pleaded guilty to several charges:
- Conspiracy to commit Hobbs Act robbery
- Hobbs Act robbery
- Attempted carjacking
- Brandishing a firearm in furtherance of a crime of violence
Brown pleaded guilty to:
- Attempted Hobbs Act robbery
- Hobbs Act robbery
U.S. Attorney Sellinger credited the investigation’s success to various law enforcement agencies, including the ATF and local police departments across Hudson County.