OCPO: PRESS RELEASE-BANK ROBBER SENTENCED TO TEN YEARS IN PRISON

Ocean County Prosecutor Bradley D. Billhimer announced that on Friday, October 25, 2019, Kim Nguyen, 39, of Newtown Square, Pennsylvania, was sentenced by the Honorable Guy P. Ryan, J.S.C., in connection with two bank robberies that occurred in Stafford Township and Barnegat Township earlier this year. Judge Ryan sentenced Nguyen to five years in New Jersey State Prison for each robbery, with the prison terms running consecutively. The sentence will be subject to the terms of N.J.S.A. 2C:43-7.2, the No Early Release Act, which requires Nguyen to serve a minimum term of 85 percent of his total ten-year sentence. Nguyen pled guilty to the charges before Judge Ryan on September 6, 2019.

Nguyen was arrested on April 14, 2019 in connection with two separate bank robberies that occurred at a Wells Fargo Bank branch in Stafford Township on March 16, 2019 and an M & T Bank branch in Barnegat Township on March 19, 2019. In both cases, Nguyen entered the bank, approached the teller, and passed a note demanding money while indicating that “this is a robbery.” After reviewing surveillance footage from surrounding businesses and the New Jersey Turnpike Authority, Detectives from the Barnegat and Stafford Township Police Departments were able to identify a vehicle with Pennsylvania plates they believed was utilized by the individual in question to travel to and from each location. Investigation revealed that this vehicle was registered to Nguyen’s father. It was also learned that Nguyen was on parole for a bank robbery out of Pennsylvania that occurred in 2012, which was conducted in a manner similar to the robberies out of Stafford and Barnegat. Ultimately, a fingerprint was lifted from one of the robbery notes matching Nguyen’s fingerprints. Nguyen was eventually located and apprehended in New York, and subsequently confessed to committing the subject bank robberies in Ocean County.

Prosecutor Billhimer would like to thank Assistant Prosecutor Kimberly Carr for handling the case on behalf of the State. Prosecutor Billhimer would also like to acknowledge the outstanding collaborative police work demonstrated by the Ocean County Prosecutor’s Office, Barnegat Township Police Department, Stafford Township Police Department, Ocean County Sheriff’s Office, Federal Bureau of Investigation, New Jersey State Police, Philadelphia Police Department, NYPD 108th Precinct, Metropolitan Transportation Authority Police Department, Nassau County Police Department, Linwood City Police Department, Ocean City Police Department, Willistown Township (Pennsylvania) Police Department and the Newtown Township (Pennsylvania) Police Department, in bringing Nguyen to justice and securing a substantial state prison term.