NORTH BERGEN – Gary Bohanan, 46, of North Bergen, pleaded guilty in Newark federal court on Nov. 12 to one count of conspiracy to commit armed bank robberies and Hobbs Act robberies, two counts of armed bank robbery, and two counts of armed Hobbs Act robbery.
The Hobbs Act refers to extortion by use of force, violence, or fear. The incidents in question all took place in July 2013, according to U.S. Attorney Paul J. Fishman.
The following are according to documents filed in this case and statements made in court:
• On July 10, 2013, Bohanan and Ramon Lopez, 25, of Union City, who were both wearing masks, allegedly entered a McDonald’s restaurant in North Bergen. Bohanan brandished a handgun and demanded money from the employees. Bohanan and Lopez then took $1,600 in cash from the cash registers and fled in a car driven by Josephine Chenet, 45, formerly of North Bergen. Chenet has since passed away and the other men have pleaded guilty to charges involving bank robberies.
• On July 18, 2013, Bohanan, Angel Feliu, 22, of North Bergen, Lopez, and Chenet waited for an employee of Le Chateau restaurant in West New York to close the restaurant, then followed her home and robbed her at gunpoint of $6,000 in cash, representing the proceeds from the restaurant.
• On July 22, 2013, Bohanan and Feliu robbed the Sovereign Bank (now Santander Bank) in Secaucus, New Jersey. Both men wore latex gloves and masks. Once inside the bank, Bohanan brandished a black handgun, jumped over the counter and proceeded to empty two drawers of money into a black bag, while pointing the handgun at bank tellers. As Bohanan emptied the drawers, Feliu stood guard. Bohanan and Feliu then fled the bank and shared the proceeds of the robbery with Lopez and Chenet.
• On July 26, 2013, Bohanan and Feliu robbed a TD Bank in Fairview. Bohanan and Feliu entered the bank at 9:48 a.m., both wearing latex gloves and masks. Feliu, however, was captured by the bank’s video surveillance system before he put the mask on his face. During the robbery, Feliu brandished a knife at employees and customers, and Bohanan brandished what appeared to be a black handgun, but was later identified as an air pistol. Bohanan then jumped over the counter and emptied two drawers of money into a black bag, while pointing the air pistol at bank tellers. As Bohanan emptied the drawers, Feliu stood guard and held bystanders back by brandishing the knife. After the robbery, Bohanan and Feliu fled on foot; however, they were followed by concerned citizens and victims of the bank robbery. Bohanan then came upon a van, pointed the air pistol at the driver, and ordered the driver out of the van. Bohanan then attempted to flee the area by driving away in the van, but he crashed it into a nearby structure. Bohanan was found hiding under a truck and arrested in possession of a black bag containing an air pistol and money covered with red dye.
The two counts of armed bank robbery to which Bohanan pleaded guilty each carry a maximum penalty of 25 years in prison and a fine of $250,000. The two counts of Hobbs Act robbery each carry a maximum penalty of 20 years in prison. The count of conspiracy carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison. Sentencing is scheduled for Feb. 24, 2016.
Feliu previously pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit armed bank robberies and Hobbs Act robberies and two counts of armed bank robbery. Lopez previously pleaded guilty in a separate proceeding to one count of conspiracy to commit armed bank robberies and Hobbs Act robberies and two counts of Hobbs Act robberies. Bohanan, Feliu, and Lopez are detained pending sentencing. Charges that had been pending against Chenet for her role in the robberies were dismissed following her death on June 22, 2014.
U.S. Attorney Fishman praised special agents of the FBI, under the direction of Special Agent in Charge Richard M. Frankel, with the investigation leading to Bohanan’s guilty plea. He also thanked the Fairview, North Bergen, and Secaucus police departments for their contributions to the case.
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